NRM News Archive
Issue 42, November 29, 2000
North Sulawesi's Regional Parliament Approves Decentralized Financing Mechanism for Bunaken National Park
After two long and harrowing days in the North Sulawesi parliament (DPRD), EPIQ's Bunaken co-management partners (including the North Sulawesi Watersports Association,
the Forum of Concerned Citizens of Bunaken National Park, the Bunaken National Park staff, the provincial Economy Bureau and Legal Bureau of North Sulawesi) were successful
in arguing the case for the Bunaken entrance fee system to support the newly-initiated Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board (BNPMAB). In the end, the fee was
passed as Rp 75,000 per foreigner per year (tourists will be required to purchase a colored tag for attachment to the wetsuit or BCD that changes color each year)
and Rp 2,500 per visit for locals. There are additional fees for researchers, commercial filmmakers, and for boats used in tourism in the park. NRM/EPIQ will soon
sponsor a small workshop to socialize this concept to all dive operators and tourism professionals in the Manado.
Importantly, NRM's Bunaken coalition partners managed to win the battle over allocation of the funds collected from the entrance fee system. Eighty percent (80%)
of the funds collected will go directly to the BNPMAB for conservation programs in the park (patrolling, trash programs, conservation education, etc). This has been
a very contentious issue, with especially the Manado city government continually arguing for a bigger share of the revenues. Fortunately, strong lobbying by Idham
Arsyad of NRM and various NSWA members (including Angelique Batuna and Katiman Herlembang) over the past 6 months convinced the Vice Governor and central government
authorities to invest the 80% back into the park despite cries from local bureaucrats for more money to their respective institutions. In the final DPRD parliament
hearing, both Angelique and the pastor from Bunaken island did an excellent job in defending the 80% for the park and finally convinced the parliament members to drop
their attempts to allocate more funds to the city and district governments. A big round of applause is due to Idham, Angelique, the pastor (Janny Lompoliu), Zulhan Harahap,
Dominggus (head of the Bunaken National Park Authority) and all the LSM and NSWA members and NRM staff who helped push this along over the last 6 months. Finally we will
see some conservation funding going back into the park!
The process of implementing the entrance fee will be a gradual one that should be fully operational by February 2001. Prior to that time, NRM and the North Sulawesi government
will host several workshops for involved dive/tourism operators to both socialize the entrance fee and finalize the technical details of the system. Once finalized, brochures and
public announcements in several languages will be produced for distribution around Manado. There are also plans to publicize the entrance fee system in a number of international dive
magazines in order to socialize the concept to potential future dive tourists to Bunaken. The NSWA anticipates very few problems from divers regarding the fee, as the system is
based on the highly successful and well-accepted Bonaire Marine Park entrance fee system with a tag mechanism (the tags from Bonaire have become a status symbol amongst many Caribbean divers).
The finalization of the Bunaken entrance fee system marks the end of a 9 year process to establish such a system. Throughout this period of time, the effort was hampered by
government efforts to impose a system that was not acceptable to the dive operators or tourists. Under the previous plans, divers would be forced to pay on a per-dive basis,
and would be assessed additional "a la carte" charges for use of camera or video equipment and other specialty equipment. Such a system was viewed as totally
unworkable by dive operators, and the entrance fee system stagnated.
Fortunately, in the new era of multistakeholder co-management of Bunaken National Park, the local government and Bunaken National Park Authority have been open to suggestion
of a very different system from the dive operators in the NSWA. The Bonaire pin system, which uses a one-time fee that is applicable to all visitors to the park, is considered
much more manageable and has been embraced by both the government and the dive operators. And the stipulation that the funds collected go towards conservation programs within the
park is a giant step forward in Indonesian protected areas management. Already this new system is being hailed by the Department of Forestry as a model for co-management of national
parks in the era of decentralization.
Mark Erdmann
Marine Protected Areas Advisor
NRM Program
flotsam@manado.wasantara.net.id
Issue 41, November 21, 2000
Bunaken Park Management Advisory Board Takes Charge
Over the past two weeks, several important milestones have been passed in the NRM Program's initiatives to
realize effective multi-stakeholder management of the Bunaken National
Marine Park (TNB). Three primary initiatives that have been ongoing for
the past six months are now coming to fruition, including the
participatory zonation revision of the park, establishment of a
multi-stakeholder Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board
(BNPMAB), and establishment of a park entrance fee system to sustainably
fund management activities in the park.
The first phase of the zonation revision process was finally completed on
16 November after nine months and 44 meetings with villagers, the private
sector and government officials. The new zonation plan for Bunaken
Island, agreed upon by all parties, was inaugurated as an
memorandum-of-understanding signed between the head of BTNB and the two
village chiefs on Bunaken Island. The landmark signing now clears the way
for an intensive socialization campaign that will include installation of
five billboards on Bunaken island, distribution of calendars (with
zonation map and rules) to every household on the island, and local media
campaigns. It also provides the necessary impetus to begin applying the
lessons learned from the Bunaken Island revision process to zonation
revision on the other four islands and two mainland areas in the park.
The BNP Management Advisory Board is solidifying after months of rocky
ground due to local NGO resistance to a change in the status quo of the
park's management. Consensus was reached in large part due to the
formation of the Forum of Concerned Citizens of BNP (see NRM Headline
News Story No. 1, Issue 37). The momentum gained by having the full and
enthusiastic support of the local villagers within the park was enough to
persuade both the local NGO's and the governor of North Sulawesi to give
the go-ahead for the multi-stakeholder management board.
The board will officially be inaugurated on 2 December 2000 by governor s
decree (SK Gubernor) and will consist of the vice-governor (chairman of
board), the president of the North Sulawesi Watersports Association (vice
chairman of board), the head of the Forum of Concerned Citizens
(secretary of the board), as well as 12 other members including the head
of BTNB, four more representatives of the Forum of Concerned Citizens,
the heads of the environmental assessment agency for both North Sulawesi
province and Minahasa district, head of the Environmental Dept for the
city of Manado, head of provincial tourism department, head of provincial
fisheries department, dean of the fisheries and marine sciences faculty
from the local university UNSRAT, and the North Sulawesi coordinator for
the environmental NGO WALHI.
The BNPMAB will be responsible for both coordinating the activities of
the many government agencies with authority within the park and
especially for developing and funding numerous conservation programs
within the park, e.g., marine conservation education programs, waste
minimization, and patrols against illegal fishing.
One source of funding for the BNPMAB will be an innovative park entrance
fee system whereby 80 percent of the funds collected from the system will
be used directly by the BNPMAB for management of the park. This is a
two-year pilot project supported by the North Sulawesi government, the
BTNB and the Director General for Nature Conservation who will allow an
important exception to the current national law that all park entrance
fees must be deposited directly in the national coffers. The Bunaken fee
system, currently being approved as a provincial decree by the North
Sulawesi parliament, will provide a strong incentive for local managers
to strictly collect all fees in order to directly fund conservation
programs within the park. The final ruling on the draft decree will be
made on 25 November, but results of the first week of hearings suggest
that the entrance fee system will pass the parliament.
Mark Erdmann
Marine Protected Areas Advisor
NRM Program
flotsam@manado.wasantara.net.id
Issue 41, November 21, 2000
Bunaken's Reefs in Danger of Being Surrendered to Criminals by Manado Court System
Over the past five months, SATPOLAIR and BTNB, the two main agencies responsible for law enforcement in the
Bunaken National Park, have conducted a highly successful joint patrol
system that has succeeded in capturing four different groups of illegal
fishermen, including bombers, cyanide fishers, and mangrove cutters. This
has resulted in 17 arrests and two court cases, and these results have
been praised by local villagers, the diving tourism industry, and
international agencies. Unfortunately, it now seems that the hard work of
these two agencies in protecting Bunaken National Park may go to waste
due to poor handling of these two cases by the Manado court system.
Case 1 - Cyanide Fishing
The first case is against Alfred Man&& , the leader and
eldest of a team of five illegal fishermen caught cyanide fishing off the
island of Mantehage in the Bunaken National Park on 28 June 2000
(reported in Manado Post 29 Juni, Pencuri Ikan Langka di Bunaken
Tertangkap ). The fishers were captured with cyanide solution,
nets, and a number of cyanided fish, including the protected Ikan
Napoleon. While the other four fishermen were released because they were
underaged, Alfred was kept in prison until the court case began last
month. Although there is evidence that the illegal fishers captured fish
with cyanide, the court case is now focusing on irrelevant issues. For
instance, the defendant is claiming that he was not aware that Mantehage
island is within the protected TNB, and the judges have been questioning
if Mantehage is protected and even if cyanide really destroys corals!
This is ridiculous said Angelique Batuna, president of the NSWA. The
defendant has violated at least four different laws.
While it is very clear that Mantehage island is within TNB, this is
totally irrelevant to the case! she said. "It is illegal to catch
Napoleon wrasse and/or use cyanide for fishing anywhere in Indonesia,
whether in marine parks or in the normal unprotected coastal areas. And
cyanide fishing is illegal for a very good reason - it kills delicate
coral reefs that may take decades to recover from the damage", she said.
According to Dr. Mark Erdmann, marine protected areas advisor for the NRM
Program in Sulut, the Manado court system must take this opportunity to
show its commitment to protect North Sulawesi's primadona TNB and issue a
strong sentence against the illegal fishermen. It will make a very good
precedent for future court cases against environmental violations in
Sulut, Dr. Erdmann said.
Case 2 - Bomb Fishing
On 23 Augustus 2000, the law enforcement agencies successfully
captured four bomb fishermen working in the southern section of TNB
(Arakan-Wowontulap). Evidence was acquired from these fishers, including
boat, compressor, eight bombs, and blasted fish. Komandan Satuan
Polairrudda Sulut, Supt. Drs. Agus Sutikno, explained that his team
completed their investigation of the case and submitted the completed
files to the court system for prosecution over two months ago. However,
the case has not yet been scheduled for trial.
This is inexcusable said Dr. Erdmann. Blast fishing is the number one
threat to coral reefs in Indonesia, and it destroys the reef and the
fisheries for our children and grand children. The court system must show
to the bombers in Sulut that it will not tolerate this behavior and it
will be punished. The future of TNB and North Sulawesi's tourism and
fisheries depends on this enforcement .
Contact names/numbers:
- Angelique Batuna, President NSWA: Telp 826091, HP: 0811-431838
- Supt. Drs. Agus Sutikno, SATPOLAIR: HP: 0811-439343
- Ir. Dominggus, Kepala BTNB: Telp 859022
- Dr. Mark Erdmann, NRM: HP: 0811-433857
