NRM News Archive
Issue 06, February 06, 2001
Saving Bunaken
Inside Indonesia/January-March 2001
Bunaken National Park (TNB) in North Sulawesi was established as a marine park in October 1991. It has become one of Indonesia's best-known marine ecotourism destinations.
The park encompasses 79 056 hectares of land and sea. A southern mainland section, the Arakan-Wawontulap coast, is set aside mainly for its old-growth mangrove forests and dugong population.
The northern section consists of five islands famous for their drop-off fringing coral reefs. The USAID-funded Natural Resources Management Program (NRM) was extensively involved in management
planning throughout the early 1990s, culminating in 1996 in the Bunaken National Park Management Plan. However, despite this NRM assistance, its formal status as a national park and its international
reputation, TNB has suffered a slow but continuous degradation of its marine resources. This is largely due to ineffective management and enforcement.
Two main factors lie behind the management shortcomings. One is a problematic zonation system, the other an increasingly irritable relationship between the park management authority (BTNE) and the local government.
At the same time, private diving tourism operators have begun calling loudly for better protection of the park's reefs. Since mid-1998, a new NRM program known as NRM2 has been trying to strengthen the BTNB park authority
and generally improve management.
Two specific initiatives have achieved encouraging results: the TNB zonation system is being revised in a participatory manner, and the private marine tourism sector has become involved in management and enforcement activities.
Both have benefited from the Indonesian government's decentralisation policy which baa presented a good opportunity to revise current policies and improve management by including all those who have an interest in the park
(the so-called primary stakeholders).
Zones
Indonesia's national parks are managed through a zonation system, whereby the park area is divided into various use zones, such as core conservation zones and community use zones. Regulations on activities vary in each zone.
The 1996 Bunaken National Park Management Plan includes a proposed zonation system that was designed through a participatory process with villagers, dive operators, and government officials. Unfortunately, the official TNB zonation
system as set forth in the 1997 ministerial decree on TNB zonation is different from that proposed in the management plan. The official zonation does not specifically address what activities are allowed in each of the zones beyond some
quite general discussion. For example, it simply says that sustainable fishing methods are allowed in the community use zone. The result of these two conflicting zonations, and the lack of detailed regulations for each zone, has created
great confusion among villagers, rangers, and dive operators alike. It has also paralysed the enforcement system.
In an attempt to clarify this situation, the BTNB and NRM2 began a multi-stakeholder, participatory revision process in early 2000. It focused on the two main user groups of the park's resources: villagers and the marine tourism sector.
At the heart of the process with villagers lies a series of community meetings, using a combination of both formal open meetings and informal focal groups. This system allows villagers to air their concerns, discuss suggestions to improve the
current zonation, and help draw up detailed regulations on activities to be allowed in each zone. At the same time, parallel meetings are also being conducted with a zonation committee from the North Sulawesi Watersports Association (NSWA),
a group of environmentally concerned marine tourism operators in the area. Results of meetings with each group are shared with the other, and with both local and central government officials.
Meetings have been lively and productive. Both of the primary user groups - villagers and tourism operators - have shown a willingness for compromise. This is a key point, since there is the potential for diametrically opposed viewpoints on
park usage between these two groups. The first phase of this revision process focused on Bunaken Island and is now complete after a lengthy period of public commentary. Throughout this first phase, emphasis was placed on recording the lessons learned,
which are now being used to improve the revision process as it moves to the other areas of the park. The entire process is expected to take up to two years. In the end, the park should have a zonation that is agreeable to all stakeholder parties - one that will
therefore be a robust and effective management tool.
Dive operators
Involving private tourism operators in managing the park has been a new NRM2 initiative. Seven marine tourism companies operating in TNB formed the NSWA in mid-1998. They had become alarmed at the rapid degradation of the reefs caused by anchor damage from
the ever-increasing number of tourism boats visiting the park every day. With NRM2 support the NSWA grew to thirteen operators and officially banned anchoring in the park by its members. They developed a self-reporting scheme whereby violators of the ban faced
the threat of being exposed in the local newspaper. At the same time, a mooring buoy design competition, with cash awards,, was held in the villages of the park. Villagers were able to show their expertise in designing boat moorings. They also developed a sense
of ownership of the moorings and began to work together with the dive operators. The campaign was very successful - anchoring by dive boats is no longer a threat to TNB's reefs. International diving magazines gave the successful stop-anchoring campaign positive
publicity. Thus encouraged, the NSWA moved on to new programs aimed at further protecting TNB's reef resources. One key area of concern was to increase the benefits of tourism to local villagers. That way villagers would acquire an interest in also protecting the park's resources.
Each operator made a specific commitment to hire more TNB villagers in their operations as dive guides or boat captains. NSWA members also sponsored a local handicrafts program by ordering embroidered handkerchiefs, coconut shell carvings and other souvenirs from the TNB villagers,
who had been given loans to start up their cottage industries. Most recently, the NSWA began a scholarship donation program. Diving guests are encouraged to donate to the fund, which recently awarded two marine sciences university fellowships and one tourism vocational school scholarship
to three promising young students from villages within the park.
Enforcement issues have also been a top concern of NSWA members. While the NSWA wants to work with the villagers as much as possible, experience has shown that certain villagers will continue to engage in illegal and reef-destructive activities within the park if enforcement
is not an integral part of TNB management Each month, the NSWA contributes fuel and boat time to local water police and park rangers to help with patrol activities. Most recently, the NSWA has instituted a one-time, US$5 fee per diver to support a Bunaken preservation fund.
The fund was spurred by a serious increase in illegal cyanide fishing in the park. It is managed under a memorandum of understanding between the NSWA, the BTNB authority, and the local water police. The agreement pays for stepped-up patrols, especially at night.
The NSWA is now also supporting the repair, maintenance and fueling of both ranger and police boats.
The new enforcement efforts have already met with great success. Since June 2000, three high profile busts resulted in seventeen cyanide and bomb fishers being sent to jail - a first for Indonesia! Villager response has been overwhelmingly positive. Several village leaders publicly
announced their support for NSWA assistance in protecting the park from this menace that threatens the livelihoods of both honest fishers and dive operators.
Local government
One of the biggest obstacles to effective management of TNB has been the antagonistic relationship between the local North Sulawesi government and the BTNB authority. The conflict goes back to the late 1980s, when the Bunaken Sea Garden nature reserve was upgraded to the status of a
marine national park. Control over the park, including the authority to collect entrance fees, then passed from the local to the central government.
In an effort to reduce the conflict, the NRM2 program has worked with both the BTN7B and local government to develop a new park entrance fee sys tern that benefits both parties. The new system revolves around a Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board bringing together various stake-holders.
This board manages the funds collected. This initiative should be online by December 2000, and should lay the groundwork for a more cooperative relationship between the BTNB and local government. Importantly, the ministry of forestry has approved this groundbreaking model of multistakeholder local
management as a two-year pilot project.
Part of the entrance fees will be distributed to local government programs, but the vast majority will be used to fund management activities within the park, such as mangrove and reef restoration, beach clean-ups, village improvement schemes, and enforcement. The management advisory board will include
representatives from BTNB, provincial and municipal government, village leaders, environmental NGOs, and private sector marine tourism operators. By allowing multiple stakeholders an equal voice in this advisory board, truly effective management of Bunaken National Park may soon become a reality.
Mark V. Erdmann
Marine Protected Areas Advisor
NRM Program
flotsam@manado.wasantara.net.id
Issue 06, February 06, 2001
Giant Strides For Bunaken Conservation
AGEnvironmentWatch
Building upon the initial successes reported previously in AG (New Hope for North Sulawesi's Reefs , June-August 2000, p. 18), the North Sulawesi Watersports Association (NSWA) and the USAID-sponsored Natural Resources Management Program (NRM) have been forging ahead with some impressive conservation initiatives
in the Bunaken National Marine Park in Sulawesi. With the addition of long-time Manado operator Nusantara Diving Centre (better known as NDC), the NSWA now stands at 13 members and is actively working with the North Sulawesi government to usher in a new era of effective management of Bunaken.
In October 2000, the NSWA selected three recipients for its marine conservation scholarship fund, designed to provide young adults from villages in the park with opportunities for higher education. Mr. Fanny Caroles of Bunaken village will receive a five-year scholarship in marine biology to the local university UNSRAT,
while Mr. Eric Rondonuwu of Likupang has accepted a five-year scholarship in fisheries science to UNSRAT. Additionally, Mr. Arvy Longkutoy of Tumpa an village will receive a three-year scholarship to the Manado Tourism Academy with a focus on marine ecotourism. The three students were selected based upon their high school
grades and their vision for the future of North Sulawesi's reefs, and are now attending NSWA meetings and participating in conservation activities.
The NSWA's ground-breaking joint patrol system with the Bunaken National Park rangers and the North Sulawesi water police has also proven highly effective. Since its inception in June, the patrol system has succeeded in arresting 17 fishers for illegal destructive fishing practices within the park. Twelve cyanide fishermen
in two separate incidents were arrested and their boat, engines, compressor, dive gear and catch (including a number of Napoleon wrasse) confiscated. While one group of seven cyaniders were eventually released due to lack of sufficient evidence, information from these men led to the arrest of five others - who are currently
being tried in court, The court case has received significant coverage in the local press and has certainly resulted in a greater local awareness of the problems facing Bunaken's reefs.
Additionally, five blast fishermen were captured in a special undercover operation and theirboat, compressor and dive gear confiscated. They remain in jail awaiting trial. Finally, the patrol system also intercepted a shipment of illegally-harvested mangrove wood from the park, and the confiscated timbers were burned.
Surprisingly, the patrol system has been very well received by local villagers, who are calling for even more enforcement and have pledged to assist rangers and police in undercover operations to rid the park of blast and cyanide fishing for good.
Of course, such conservation activities are not without cost. Until now, the NSWA has been funding the patrol system and other activities through a voluntary US$5 per diver preservation fee. However, this is set to change in 2001 with the implementation of the official Bunaken National Park entrance fee of approximately US$10
per visitor per year. The entrance fee system will be based upon the highly successful Bonaire Marine Park model where divers purchase a special tag that is valid for one calendar year. In the Caribbean, these tags have become something of a status symbol, and the North Sulawesi government hopes this will soon be the case in Asia as well.
After months of strong lobbying by NSWA, NRM and local villagers, the government has agreed that the proceeds of this entrance fee system should be dedicated specifically for conservation programs within the park. Specific programs which have been discussed include a coral reef conservation education program for all 21 villages in the park,
a beefed-up enforcement and patrol system, beach and reef clean-ups and a plastic waste management system for Manado.
To effectively manage this entrance fee system and the host of conservation programs planned from it, a multi-stakeholder Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board has been created. Chaired by the Governor of North Sulawesi and vice-chaired by the President of NSWA, this advisory board includes local environmental NGOs, government officials,
academia and five leaders from the newly-formed Forum of Concerned Citizens of Bunaken National Park. The advisory board will ensure transparency in the entrance fee system and oversee the various conservation programs.
A final initiative to increase conservation in the park has been a 10-month long participatory revision of the Bunaken zonation map. While the previous park zonation was both vague and extremely confusing to fishers and divers alike, the newly-signed zonation revision divides the park into three zones with very clear rules for each.
The three zones include core conservation zones (no fishing or diving), tourism use zones (no fishing), and community use zones (non-destructive fishing allowed). This new zonation should provide much-needed relief for Bunaken's fish populations. And because the zonation revision was the product of 44 meetings between dive operators,
fishers and government officials, it is strongly hoped that all parties will actively cooperate with the new rules.
With such a wide range of exciting conservation initiatives happening within the park, the NSWA and the North Sulawesi government are hopeful that Bunaken will soon become a model for effective marine park management in Southeast Asia. For more information, contact NSWA at
nswa@bunaken.info or visit the website
www.north-sutawesi.com
Mark V. Erdmann
Marine Protected Areas Advisor
NRM Program
flotsam@manado.wasantara.net.id
Issue 06, February 06, 2001
New Hope for North Sulawesi's Reefs
AGEnvironmentWatch
In a recent issue of AG (Beneath Bunaken , March-May 2000, page 40-53), Michael AW discussed a number of problems facing the reefs of Bunaken National Park in Sulawesi. These problems have not gone unnoticed by the marine tourism sector in North Sutawesi, and the dive operators there are now working together to help preserve the tremendous diversity of the region's reefs. Since mid 1998,
the North Sulawesi Watersports Association (NSWA) has been actively promoting more environmentally-friendly watersports activities within the Bunaken National Park, Lembeh Strait and alt marine areas of the North Sulawesi province. Following the explosion of marine tourism to the area in 1996, these operators realised that the primary cause of degradation to Bunaken's reefs was anchoring
of dive boats; every day the reefs sustained up to 200 anchoring incidents. The NSWA immediately enacted a strict ban on anchoring in the park that has virtually eliminated anchoring today.
Additionally, the NSWA has designed and is currently printing a reef-friendly marine tourism practices brochure that all arriving guests will be asked to read before diving. The members have also worked to make their restaurant menus more reef-friendly, eliminating such items as lobster, shark, and grouper, and instead promoting sustainable pelagic fisheries products like tuna and mackerel.
The NSWA also realises the importance of conferring benefits of tourism to the villagers living within the Bunaken National Park and Lembeh Strait. The association has supported a handicrafts program whereby members purchase embroidered marine life handkerchiefs, coconut shell fish carvings, and scale model dugout canoes from villagers for sale in their gift shops. A scholarship fund has been set up
to offer one University scholarship in marine sciences and five tourism vocational school scholarships to villagers in the park on an annual basis. The NSWA has also supported the production and distribution of a children's colouring book on reef conservation and a television infomercial entitled Trashing Sulawesi on the problems of ocean disposal of plastics. Additionally, the members are committed
to hiring more local villagers in their operations.
At the same time, the NSWA has also been working to support better enforcement activities in the park. For the past two years, the NSWA has made monthly contributions towards police and ranger patrol costs, and since January 2000 has instituted a night patrol system using member's boats to deter night-time cyanide fishing incidents. Most recently, the NSWA signed a memorandum of understanding with the
Bunaken National Park rangers and the local water police unit to formalise a routine patrol system. To support this patrol system, the NSWA has initiated a voluntary onetime US$5/diver preservation fee ~ Along with donations from the members and a US$7,000 matching grant from the USAID-funded Natural Resources Management Program, this preservation fund should provide adequate patrol time to truly protect
the park's reefs from illegal fishing and coral collection activities.
The NSWA is currently comprised of 11 operators, Blue Banter Marina, Bunaken Divers, Celebes Divers, ChaCha Dive Resort, Eco Divers, Froggies Divers, Kungkungan Bay Resort, Minahasa Prima Resort, Murex Dive Resort, Tasik Ria Diving Centre, and Dive Centre Thalassa.
For more information, contact NSWA at
nswa@bunaken.info or write to PO BOX 1117, Manado, Sulawesi 95011 Indonesia.
Mark V. Erdmann
Marine Protected Areas Advisor
NRM Program
flotsam@manado.wasantara.net.id
