By: Idham Farsha (Marine Species Site Coordinator Kobar)

A wide variety of regional art attractions, costumes, and floats from a number of Regional Organization Units (SOPD), community organizations, community groups, students, and students were held in the Nasi Adab Parade to enliven the anniversary of West Kotawaringin Regency on Wednesday (4/10) in Pangkalan Bun, West Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan. In this activity, the people of Teluk Bogam Village introduced dugong or duyung as the theme of their attraction.

M. Syairani as the Kobar Cultural Expert explained that the Nasi Adab activity itself originated from the Banjar Kingdom culture brought by the son of the fourth Banjar Sultan, Pangeran Adipati Anta-Kusuma, in the 16th century who made West Kotawaringin the center of his government. The Nasi Adab activity is a community offering to the royal government, in the form of tumpeng rice using sticky rice to be taken to the Palace. Since Indonesia's independence and the formation of Pangkalan Bun into a district, one of the cultures that has been raised and maintained in commemorating the anniversary is the Nasi Adab.

This is the first time the people of Teluk Bogam Village have chosen mermaids as the theme of their Nasi Adab parade. This is inseparable from the proposal of Idham Farsha site coordinator WWF-Indonesia who made Teluk Bogam Village as one of the pilot sites among three other villages, namely Kubu, Sungai Bakau, and Keraya Villages in the implementation of the Indonesian Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project (DSCP) program.

The procession car from Teluk Bogam Village was decorated with pictures of dugongs, and one of the cars displayed a banner "Stop Dugong/Duyung Hunting" with the slogan "Duyung Lestari, Lamun Terjaga, Ikan Berlimpah, Masyarakat Sejahtera".

Starting from Kodim 1014 Pangkalan Bun Headquarters on Jalan Pangeran Antasari, the parade participants moved past the main stage in front of the former Kobar Regent's house. On the main stage, the text read that "Dugongs are often found and seen in the waters of Bogam Bay. Dugongs are one of the endangered animals protected by law. Dugongs are an important part of the food chain cycle of the marine ecosystem, take care and love the dugong so that the marine ecosystem is maintained."

According to Jurham Efendy, Secretary of Teluk Bogam Village, the Nasi Adab parade is one of the best moments at the end of 2017 to socialize the protection of dugongs and seagrasses to the wider community, considering that so far the socialization has only been held among the people of Teluk Bogam Village. In addition, through the participation of the people of Teluk Bogam Village in the Nasi Adab parade, it is hoped that there will be a change in the community's view of Teluk Bogam Village from being known as a dugong hunting center to a dugong protector.

"We hope that with this socialization, the people of Kobar, especially the people of Teluk Bogam Village, will become fully aware to no longer carry out hunting activities and utilize any part of the body of the dugong," said Jurham.