Christopel Paino, Gorontalo – After the hard work of preservation, a mangrove area of 20 hectares in Popayato, Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo, will be transformed into an embankment.

Around a hundred local residents are protesting and have rejected its construction. "We are against transforming our mangrove area into an embankment," said Umar Pasandre, a Torisiaje Jaya village resident, on Thursday (25/2).

Umar and others have established a mangrove preservation working unit facilitated by the Advocacy Network of Natural Resources (Japesda) a few years ago.

"We even planted 3,000 mangrove seeds last month as part of rehabilitating the coastal area," added Husain Onte, another Torisiaje Laut village resident.

The residents, accompanied by Ibrahim Rahman, a facilitator from the Gorontalo Japesda, have reported this plan to the police.

"From information we have, the permit to transform the area has only been obtained from the village head. But we will investigate it first," said Ibrahim.