Islands to be Developed: Gunungkidul, Central Java

In what is seen as an excellent move forward to increase tourism in the regency of Yogyakarta, a number of small uninhabited islands off Gunungkidul district`s coast will be developed to become marine vacation spots. Of the 22 islands, six were so close to the Gunungkidul coast that they could be easily seen with the naked eye. These islands included Timang, Kukup and Watulawang.

“The uninhabited islands are now being surveyed to determine whether or not they have a living ecosystem,” Eko Subantoro, head of the local Development Planning Board (Bappeda), said.

He added the survey was being done by Yogyakarta provincial administration teams moving on as well as around the islands.

“Those islands hold marine biota that can be cultivated and are in the category of those that must be conserved,” he said in an Antara News report.