REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DENPASAR -- Surabaya city mayor Tri Rismaharini said saving mangrove forests means a return to the past glory of maritime era.

Risma said conservation of the coastal area would preserve the ecosystem providing habitat for marine creatures as well as sea vegetation.

"If the ecosystem is well preserved our sea would be rich in fish species," Risma said in between a seminar on Mangrove for Nature here on Friday.

She said mangrove will prevent abrasion and keep islands from sinking in the event of melting of massive mountain ice under earth climate heat.

She said her administration is seeking to save 2,500 hectares of mangrove forests in the northern part of the eastern coast of the East Java capital of Surabaya.

She said a 1.5 kilometer long barrier along the coast has been built around 100 meters from the seashore.

"The coastal area was once beautiful but now it is damaged. We have tried to give life to the beach areas by planting mangrove," the popular mayor said.

The city administration has cleared 10 hectares of the beach areas to cost Rp50 billion a year.

Risma said casuarina trees would be planted along the border line as mangrove would not grow on the dry land.

Mangrove would grow on muddy land with certain salt content, she said.

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