Jakarta, April 15 -- Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni stated that the visitor quotas at Komodo National Park are being implemented to prevent overtourism, which could damage the environment.

"Our decision to limit tourist quotas is based on research showing that long-term overtourism will lead to habitat degradation and the eventual loss of the site's tourism appeal," he said in a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Speaking during a meeting with the House of Representatives, he explained that the limitation is a strategic move to protect the park as a vital sanctuary for wildlife-particularly the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), which is endemic to Indonesia-and the local communities.

The quota system will focus on three...