Marine protected area learning site for the Coral Triangle
Full Solution
Seaweed farming in Nusa Penida
Marie Fischborn
The high ecological importance of the three islands of Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia located in the heart of the Coral Triangle Center is used for developing a MPA learning site. It addresses the lack of formalization of natural resource management and inadequate protection of marine biodiversity with main institutional strategies to foster platforms for on-the-ground learning and sharing of knowledge and skills about tropical marine conservation.
Photo and video gallery
Context
Challenges addressed
unlicensed fishing, sewage and pollution, coral mining and climate change effects Nusa Penida has 45,000 inhabitants that depend on marine resources, including fish and seaweed. About 200,000 tourists per year visit the islands. The solution addresses unlicensed fishing, sewage and pollution, coral mining and climate change effects including rise of seawater temperature, seawater level rise, and shift of fishing season that threaten biodiversity, ecosystem and livelihood.
Beneficiaries
local fishermen, fisheries industry, seaweed farmers, marine tour operators, and tourists
Location
Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Southeast Asia
Process
Summary of the process
All six building blocks are part of a bottom-up step-by-step approach to achieve the solution. Baseline data collection (building block 1) is the required input for a successful consultative development of zoning the MPA and its management plan with all stakeholders (Building block 2). As a result, the collaborative management process can start that commits and brings together all stakeholders concerned (Building block 4). Options for sustainable financing mechanism (Building block 3) and ecological restoration (Building block 5) are laid out during the consultative development of zoning and management plan (Building block 2) and furthered through the collaborative management of all stakeholders (Building block 4). The process and the success of the collaborative management of the MPA, the use of its ecosystem services and marine ecotourism to generate funds and revenues for the community are shared to support other sites (Building block 6). The establishment of a marine protected area learning site for the Coral Triangle is made possible through continuous governmental, private sector and NGO (CTC) support from the beginning.
Building Blocks
Baseline data collection
Scientific data collection with input from relevant stakeholders, through public consultations and government, includes biophysical status and condition of the area, socio-economic status, resource use and preferences, governance, organisational and policy structures. Document data in a public document (Nusa Penida Profile). The profile helps to determine criteria for establishment of protection zones and as input for discussions with local stakeholders.
Enabling factors
High diversity of marine ecosystem and biota
Lesson learned
The combination of scientific data and traditional knowledge provides best information and baseline information for MPA planning. However, MPA planning should not be delayed until a perfect data set is available.
Consultative development: zoning and management plan
Formalise and enhance local customs and institutions legally. Conduct consultations (in the case of Nusa > 30) with community groups, government, and private dive operators with specific attention directed to each stakeholder group’s context. Identify core zones of high resilience, thus high conservation value. Core zones have high coral reef biodiversity serving as spawning sites, and no coral bleaching during temporarily high sea-surface temperatures.
Enabling factors
• Commitment from local government on MPA establishment
• Community support and culture that respects nature and acknowledges peoples’ dependence on coastal and marine resources
• Location of the MPA close to the mainland (access) and not too large in terms of size for management reasons
Lesson learned
Planning and developing an MPA should involve a range of central and local government agencies, the local community(ies) concerned, marine tour operators and other marine users.
Sustainable financing mechanism
The Coral Triangle Center developed an entrance fee system formalized by District Regulation based on a ‘willingness to pay’ survey. The survey indicated that tourists visiting Nusa Penida would pay between USD5 – USD10 per entry. However, the District Government only approved to collect USD1 per visit to avoid decreasing numbers of tourists. In the first year, the collected fee sums up to USD140.000. The 20-year business plan for the MPA, however, indicates the need USD600.000 per year (minimum scenario) and USD800.000 per year (maximum scenario). Thus, currently the entrance fee is covering about 25% of the cost of the MPA management (minimum scenario). The District Government will increase the free gradually to USD5 in 10 years. Assuming 200.000 visitors per year, the entrance fee will reach USD1 million per year, even higher than the maximum scenario costs. Another source of income to cover 20% of the management cost comes from Government budget, souvenirs and merchandise, education trips and collaboration with NGOs and other donors. In addition to rising management costs, the current challenge includes the transfer of authority and tasks such as collecting the entrance fees from the District Government to the Bali Provincial Government due to changed national law.
Enabling factors
- An important tourism industry or potential for tourism
- Pre-existing community benefits from marine eco-tourism prior to establishment of MPA
- Cooperation from private enterprises and marine and coastal tour operators
Lesson learned
- Need accountable and transparent system on entrance fee collection and clear spending system to directly support the services and management of the MPA. This is to ensure credibility of the MPA management as well as trust of tourists who pay the fee.
- Adaptive management needed to adjust to changing or unpredictable situations such as new law and authority transfer
Collaborative management of all stakeholders
Establish a management body reflecting the collaboration between local government and communities ensuring transparency and accountability. In collaboration with all stakeholders, including partnerships with local enterprises, set up a joint patrol teams composing members of local government, National Waters Guard, National Navy, community groups, traditional security guards, dive operators and the CTC.
Enabling factors
• Commitment from local government
• Partnership between stakeholders
• No conflicts between resource owners and dive and tour operators
Lesson learned
To be provided by solution provider.
Ecological restoration
To enhance climate change resilience by protecting the island from rising sea level and heavy storm impacts, to increase sequestration of carbon in coastal areas, and to restore ecosystems replant mangroves to rehabilitate damaged mangrove areas and corals to improve status of local reefs.
Enabling factors
• Commitment from local government
• Community support and awareness of climate change related threats
• Technical and financial support
• Mangrove nurseries
Lesson learned
To be provided by solution provider.
Sharing experiences to support other sites
Nusa Penida is a learning site. It provides a platform for training and field visits by governmental and non-governmental participants and MPA managers. Prepare outreach material, build a library, develop training and field visits. Train CTC staff and key stakeholder representatives, and conduct pre-and post-visit planning and review sessions for customization and quality control. Apply a small fee or in-kind contribution from programme participants.
Enabling factors
• A ‘blue print’ community managed MPA
• Support and funding from government and external partners
Lesson learned
An MPA can be a functioning learning site if easily accessible and if it has strong insights to be shared, and prove examples of solutions on coastal and marine resource management challenges.
Impacts
Coral reef condition and fish populations remain stable based on annual reef health monitoring surveys.
Charismatic and flagship species such as Mola mola and Manta ray are fully protected, and dive tourism from Bali to Nusa Penida is sustainable.
Marine eco-tourism is successfully developed, including mangrove tours, with mangroves being one of the conservation targets of the MPA. Indeed, the MPA has prompted the green image of Nusa Penida’s marine tourism. In 2016, 256.000 visited Nusa Penida MPA. In the same year, the site won for the second time a National AWARD, as one of the MPAs in Indonesia with the highest management effectiveness levels. Nusa Penida MPA progressed towards the blue (75%) management effectiveness level based on the National Evaluation tool (E-KKP3K) by Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. This is the 2nd highest out of 5 levels.
Data suggests that fishing in the MPA for Nusa Penida and external fishermen is sustainable and fish stocks are maintained.
Story
When people on Nusa Penida started seaweed farming in 1984, they would uproot mangroves to create their farms. The cutting of mangrove trees was more or less part of a daily routine. Ten years later residents realized that the ocean came ever closer and didn’t stop at their backyards anymore. The reason seemed obvious: the deforestation of the mangroves. People began to look at the mangroves as not only a source of wood, but as a means of coastal protection. At the same time, more and more tourists visited the island and quite a few seemed to be interested in seeing the mangrove forest. Thus, the locals started to organize mangrove tours. Another ten years further down the road, The Nature Conservancy initiated marine education training on the island, including mangrove replanting and the development of a mangrove seed bank. CTC continued these activities and developed the MPA together with local authorities and communities, allowing the islanders to expand tourism. Local communities were connected with professional tour operators and targeted promotion brought in more visitors on a regular basis. Today, about 35 to 50 people per day sign up for the mangrove tour. This kills two birds with one stone, but fortunately not two fish with one worm: visitors learn about marine biodiversity and the importance of coastal protection while local communities generate additional income and leave destructive practices behind. The outstanding effort of Nusa Penida has been recognized. The island received the national award from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry as good example for the most efficient managed MPA. CTC executive director Rili Djohani states “Nusa Penida has become a jewel in Indonesia’s marine protected area system, as one of the most thoroughly planned and zoned MPAs in the Coral Triangle through bottom-up collaborative management that contributed to people’s livelihoods and economies while protecting the world’s biological wealth for future generations.”
