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Pata Gold Awards 2005 Environment Pemuteran Village Marine Protected Area is a “bottom-up” program established and enforced under village law. Over a period of five years, (1999-2004), more than a half a kilometer of nearly barren coral areas have been turned into a reef full of vibrant coral and swarming fish with dense populations of juvenile reef fish, resting fish schools and fish that only shelter in live coral, as well as other marine organisms. Many species are attracted to the sites to metamorphose from larval stages into juveniles. Snappers use the structures to hide in the daytime, forming dense schools. This unique situation is a result of a remarkable new method, Biorock technology which accelerate coral growth 3 to 5 times faster than normal and increase coral survival by a factor of 16 to 50 times. Corals in the project are representative of 80% of all coral genera in Indonesia and 60% of all coral genera in the world. Corals on the Biorock structures, because of their higher growth rate and healthier metabolism, will reproduce sooner and more, thus playing a key role in restocking the surrounding reefs. Background Pemuteran, North Bali, lies between shadow of mountains to the south and Menjangen Island to the north, a famous tourist destination for diving and nature treks. Pemuteran receives less rainfall than other island areas during rainy season and is too dry for rice cultivation. The population is predominately fishermen. When the resource is depleted, fishermen move on to the next site. North Bali is the major source of stock for the aquarium fish trade, all wild-caught using cyanide. Due to poverty and distance from major tourist entry points, tourism came late to the area. It began with diving and snorkeling as the area has the largest reefs in Bali, easily accessible and free of strong currents, and as a base for those visiting the nearby West Bali National Park, the island’s largest protected area. The spectacular coral reef growth offshore made for a diving and snorkeling paradise. Where once fishing was the only option, new jobs grew in tourism, greatly raising the economic and living standards of the area. Economic catastrophe befell Indonesia in 1998, and the currency collapsed. Pemuteran’s large sheltered bay, once surrounded by reefs teeming with fish was targeted by migration of whole communities of desperate fishermen from neighboring islands, where their own fisheries had been exhausted by over-exploitation. They brought destructive bomb and cyanide fishing techniques, steadily destroying almost all of Pemuteran’s reefs. The same year, El Nino raised water temperature worldwide, causing coral bleaching and death. Many of Bali’s own reefs experienced the same fate, including Pemuteran’s. Due to these two incidents, the bank reefs, once full of coral thickets and fish swarms, became piles of broken rubble, barren of fish. Reef loss contributed to a decline in fisheries. Tourist numbers fell due to destruction of dive and snorkeling sites. Local fishermen recognized the industry could not recover until the coral reef habitat was restored. Sustainable eco-tourism requires the protection of natural beauty. Conservation often conflicts with traditional resource users. For example, fish become more valuable when divers and snorkellers can see them repeatedly, paying for themselves many times over, versus their value as a single meal. About Face: Turning Environmental Abusers into Advocates In the Karang Lestari Pemturean (Protected Coral) project, hotels, dive shops, village fisher folk, scientists and conservationists under the sponsorship and guidance of Taman Sari Resort united to protect and restore coral reefs and increase fishery resources, both for tourism and the fishing economy. A compelling element of this “pilot project” is the interactive involvement of traditional community, government and private enterprise. Its goal is to enhance tourism through environmental conservation and protection, while contributing economically to the community. In 1999, the Pemuteran community declared reefs in front of the beach hotels as protected, no-fishing zones for eco-tourism use only. Local fishermen formed marine security patrols, the first of their kind in Indonesia, and banned bomb and cyanide reef fishing in Pemuteran Bay to preserve what was left of their resources. With this effort, in 2001 a radical new approach to reef restoration was undertaken—‘Mineral Accretion’ literally grows reefs. This novel technology uses electricity to ‘grow’ limestone rock on steel frames and increases coral growth rates. These resulting coral and fish nurseries have re-established a devastated marine eco-system in a very short time. The reef restoration project success demonstrated to the local community the importance of marine conservation, protection and ownership and has become an exciting asset to the tourism environment. With coral regeneration and fishing bans in the bay, spinner dolphins have returned in significant numbers. Local villagers took the initiative to start dolphin-watching tours. The village retains rights to all snorkeling income from tourists. Both of these income alternatives, in a traditional fishing community, reinforce basic understanding that each fish has more value in the sea than in a net or on the end of a fishing line. With alternative income avenues available, former environmental destroyers have become avid proponents of conservation and eco-tourism, for economic and environmental benefit. Increased Business With the reefs’ return to health, local fishermen experience increases in their catches and Pemuteran has again become one of Bali’s main diving destinations. Along with the continuous flow of divers, large numbers of other tourists followed. As a result of this protection, tourism infrastructure has grown, making tourism earnings a major contributor to the local economy, in a region that previously had little cash income—much less foreign exchange earnings—in one of Bali’s poorest economic areas. The community quickly grasped the value of eco-tourism income, which had positive effects on lifestyle and health for local villagers. Two Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are responsible for the Bali Karang Lestari projects: Yayasan Karang Lestari Pemuteran is a local NGO founded by the owner of Taman Sari Resort in Pemuteran Bali, Mr. Agung Prana (see Appendix 1). Its mission to develop education and understanding in the local communities of coral and fishery restoration, coastal protection and management; to socialize and expand the work to enable villagers and fisher folk to understand the importance of preserving their own natural resources on which their livelihoods depend and the sustainable development of ecotourism that offers new jobs. Global Coral Reef Alliance (GCRA) is a non-profit organization based in Cambridge Massachusetts, USA, pioneering modern coral reef restoration methods, conservation and sustainable management. GCRA works with communities and governments worldwide. The Pemuteran Bali pilot project, the first of its kind in Indonesia, resulted from a workshop organized after the May 2000 Indonesian Conference of Coral Reef and Coastal Management in Bali, led by GCRA president Dr. Thomas Goreau, (see Appendix 2) a reef ecosystem and coral expert, along with Professor Wolf Hilbertz, (see Appendix 3) a marine architect, co-inventors of the Biorock system of coral reef restoration. The GCRA has established coral regeneration projects in three additional sites in North Bali. When funding is secured, part would be reserved to transport fishermen from these areas to Pemuteran to participate in workshops. Part would be reserved for helping set up the next Biorock Workshop for interested parties. The project needs to film all the corals and document their growth and measure coral growth rates in a scientifically rigorous manner. These two NGO’s are dynamic and complementary. The award-winning community-based coral restoration project in Pemuteran Bali is becoming one of the world’s major educational and experimental facilities to further coral reef regeneration, coastal protection and socialization of sustainable management of coral reef ecosystems for conservation and tourism development. Tourism Interests: Among the world’s most notorious environmental destroyers, Indonesia now is the world leader in reef restoration. The Karang Lestari Project is the world’s largest coral reef restoration project. The unusual underwater regeneration structures have become a tourist attraction showcasing community-based marine conservation and coastal protection. Among program goals are: · Supporting community-based conservation and protection for all marine resources through education and regeneration programs · Ensuring continual conservation through support from local communities, business owners, government, marine scientists and conservationists · Restoring coral reef habitats to former natural beauty and increasing fisheries for sustainable ecotourism development · Shifting fishermen’s destructive harvest methods to ecologically-friendly alternatives—converting fishermen from hunters to farmers · Combating environmental degradation through reef rehabilitation and resource management · Providing environmental education for tourists and the local population · Diversifying livelihood opportunities The project has won both international and national acclaim: · SKAL Ecotourism Award 2002 for world’s best underwater eco-tourism project · Indonesia’s Konas Award 2002 for best community-based coastal management · Kalpataru/Adipura Award 2004, Indonesia’s most prestigious environmental award, presented to the village chief by the President of Indonesia · Frequent visits and strong personal support has come from the former-Indonesian ministers of Culture and Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, the Director of Mari Culture Research, the Governor of Bali, the Bali Tourism Office and others. (Note: Indonesia has installed a new government as of October 20, 2004) Dr. Klaus Toepfler, Executive Director of the United Nations Environmental Programs viewed and personally endorsed the project. With proposed supporting programs of wastewater control, watershed stabilization, aquarium fish trade control and university programs working in concert, there is a realistic possibility that sustainable development can be attained. Note: Since publishing this paper, Karang Lestari Pemuteran has received two more awards: · ASEANTA’s Award for Excellence for Best Conservation Effort 2005. Entries included all Asean countries including Japan, Korea and Australia. · PATA Gold Award for Best Environmental Project 2005 Transplanting Good Ideas: Value to the Nation Indonesia’s coral reefs are the global center of marine biodiversity. Indonesia has 17,502 islands with the world’s richest variety of coral (450 species). This is one of Indonesia’s greatest assets. Indonesia’s reefs span 85,700 sq km or 14% of the world’s coral reefs. Only 6% of these reefs are healthy. Destruction comes from human activity, dynamite and cyanide fishing, pollution, global warming, over exploitation and environmentally-unfriendly tourism. This degradation results in huge economic and cultural loss. Economic gain does not offset loss and destruction. Damaged coral reefs take years to recover naturally. Despite conservation efforts now to address these problems, natural regeneration under existing efforts is inadequate, in part due to rapidly increasing global stresses. Protected reef regeneration speeds nature’s restoration process. By training fishermen to farm coral reefs instead of destroy them, damaged habitat can be restored, and Indonesia’s priceless natural underwater heritage can be preserved and increased as damaged areas are restored to productivity. It is now apparent that “active restoration” in combination with conservation is far more effective. The community based “active restoration” efforts of Karang Lestari Pemuteran Project prove that new methods that grow limestone structures in the sea accelerate growth of corals, oysters, and organisms with shells, increasing their resistance to environmental stresses, allowing them to survive and be restored under conditions where they would otherwise die. They attract swarms of fishes, create eco-tourism attractions, protect coastlines form erosion and enhance sustainable farming of fish and shellfish by improving habitat quality. The methods used in Karang Lestari Pemuteran are the first step in restoring as much as possible of Bali’s damaged reefs. It is evident that local fishermen are eager to change from hunting the last wild fish in the seas to farming them, and to secure sustainable fisheries and tourism attractions for future generations. This can be seen as a first step into new research and training programs in coral reef restoration, mari-culture and ocean energy development and could be part of a new Marine Research Center. Funding is desperately needed to maintain, expand and improve the Pemuteran facility, for the benefit of all those that wish to learn from and do research; and to expand its ecotourism, livelihood development potential. The hope and plan is to extend this process to the entire district, then to other communities facing similar problems in Bali, Indonesia and beyond. The methods pioneered in Pemuteran have proven successful where other strategies have shown little result in restoring reefs and fisheries. There have been numerous requests to start similar projects with fishing villages and hotels around Bali. This project has demonstrated that restoring coral growth can bring fish back. Local fishermen see the schools of many kinds of fish attracted to the coral nurseries, as they pass over them en route to their barren fishing grounds miles off shore. Greater effort is required to expand research and training for large-scale application across Indonesia. Toward this goal, Karang Lestari organized two workshops. The most recent, January 2004, was opened by Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Culture, the Dean of Udayana University, the Governor of North Bali, and the Director of South-East Asia’s largest fish hatchery in Gondol, located near Pemturean, among others. The majority of participants were Indonesian students attending Universities or working with local environmental conservation groups. Additionally, there were participants from Germany, Hungary, Italy, Britain and the US. Backgrounds included students of biology, marine biology, chemistry, oceanography, aquaculture, fisheries, forestry, literature, landscape architecture, architecture, electrical engineering, visual arts, veterinary science, civil law, and marine conservation, with non-profit community groups and fisheries. Students received lectures and hands-on training, and learned to design, build, deploy, maintain and repair coral reef and fisheries restoration projects. The results of two recent student research theses on the project were presented. A full report is found at www.globalcoral.org. Value to South East Asia Southeast Asia is renowned for some of the world’s best reefs, but they are quickly vanishing. Degradation of tropical reefs can have devastating economic effects on developing maritime nations. Without healthy reef systems, future options for social and economic development will be constrained or lost. The marine tourist industry that depends on beautiful seas and beaches will collapse. No one will want to dive or snorkel in a dead ecosystem. No one will wish to holiday or visit polluted beaches and dead seas. Current conservation efforts are insufficient. Regenerative capacities must be better understood and actively managed, so that human beings can become a more efficient and less destructive component of coral reef ecosystems. If coral reefs are to resist environmental changes it is imperative that critical groups of fishes, corals and other taxa are actively managed in a sustainable manner. Community management and Biorock regeneration are viable; low technology concepts, which can help, reverse these negative trends regionally. The success of the Pemuteran reef restoration project in North Bali demonstrates how the effort and willingness of a few scientists, dive operators, resorts and local people can preserve the quality of the marine environment. The technology can be applied on any scale, and are applicable to even the smallest and most remote communities a well as the largest. Marketing Diving is one of the fastest growing recreational sports worldwide. Southeast Asia has some of the most diverse marine life with some of the most beautiful reefs and best diving in the world, with thousands of picturesque sandy beaches and islands so popular with the world’s tourists. The marine tourism industry’s future is dependent on the protection, conservation and sustainable management of these precious assets. Without this, tourism that is based on the natural beauty of the beaches and seas will decline. The future of marine tourism is at risk. It is imperative that new, active ways of protecting the marine environment for the sustainable future of its tourism are adopted. As witnessed in the Karang Lestari Project in North Bali, tourists have been flocking to this area, very curious about the program. Families are specifically interested in a holiday that incorporates something educational and cultural. Often they wish to learn more and help in any way they can. In Indonesia, Karang Lestari has achieved recognition as an educational tourist attraction in a peaceful, natural location with potential for adventure with the message spread by the many articles by news agencies, travel and dive publications. (See Appendix 4). Upgrade and expansion will make it an even more attractive location as a research facility of value internationally to environmentalists, conservationists, academics, journalists, filmmakers and government officials. (See Appendix 5 and 6). For general tourism, the conservation efforts in Pemuteran have made it a preferred destination alternative to the overpopulated south. Future Funding is Critical Although Pemuteran’s dramatic results have received coverage around the world and won environmental prizes, there has been little impact at the level of policymakers and none at the level of funding agencies. From its inception, this project has been entirely dependent upon private sector funding, support from local hotels, dive shops and donations. Recent community meetings concluded that marine security patrols couldn’t continue to operate effectively on a volunteer basis. Running Marine Security as a small business has wide support among community and business leaders. All the pieces are in place for successful community based and managed marine patrol and tourist services, serving as a small business to employee, train and educate the local community in specific skills while protecting the area to help increase catches and improve the environment for tourism income. Funding also is required to improve the educational impact of the project. The dive and snorkeling trail need to be improved. Buoys and signs repaired. An information book made available. Billboards displaying some of the many articles written about the project need to be made, (Scuba Diver Magazine’ recent article is titled “South East Asia’s Most Unique Reef System”). Photos and descriptions of species of fish and corals found in the project would be displayed also in the village owned shop on the beach. A printed coral ID sheet could be available laminated for underwater use. Dive guides would be trained to explain the basics of the technology and how the community has benefited by the new understanding of marine conservation and protection to divers and snorklers, and visiting guests. A screening room would be made also in the village owned shops to show the award winning documentaries already filmed about the project as well as new footage shot by visiting underwater filmmakers and journalists. (See appendix 7) Environmental Issues are at the core of all of Taman Sari’s Advertising Since its inception, Taman Sari Resort has applied the concept of man living in harmony with his environment as its guiding principal with the Karang Lestari Project the center piece for community-based awareness in protection of their own natural resources. It has been successfully used over the years in marketing campaigns including this years which includes first time marketing in China. Other hotels, dive shops and businesses in Pemuteran are following this example. Increasing Awareness and Sustainable Motivation at the Grass Roots Level Mr. Agung Prana, the owner of Taman Sari Resort and founder of the Karang Lestari Pemuteran Foundation, has been the community leader on all environmental issues in the development of Pemuteran. The success and national and international recognition of the Coral Restoration and Marine Security Patrols has created an open atmosphere not only among the employees but all members of the community about environmental concerns, and now there is open discussion and solution finding in employee and community meetings. Everyone is encouraged to contribute with suggestions, ideas and motivation. New ideas of garbage collection, separation, recycling for sale, as well as using organic garbage for compost for profit schemes operated by the village women are being considered by the community in general. Taman Sari Resort’s efforts have been the foundation for this positive creation of the local people’s new way of considering important development issues. Planned support programs: Other supporting programs being considered due to the success of the Karang Lestari Project are: 1. Reforming the ornamental fish industry in Indonesia, in a pilot project “commercial” reef for the village of Penyabangan, a few kilometers east of Pemuteran, Karang Lestari will donate technical expertise and materials for reef construction. PT Cendana Indopearls pearl farm will supply electric power, steel-rod, welding facilities, site security and divers to clean and maintain the structures. Fishermen from Penyabangan and the adjoining village of Musi, who have undertaken the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) training program for sustainable aquarium fish collection, will be permitted to collect fish with nets from the “commercial” reef. MAC will use this “pilot project” working model to promote sustainable aquarium fish collection in other villages in North Bali, and lobby them for bans on aquarium fish collection using cyanide. This would create a new industry offering new skills and sustainable income for local fishermen some of whom are excluded from the benefits of tourist development, and educating by example other fishermen cooperatives the concept of management, conservation and protection. 2. Decreasing land based pollution into the sea. Wastewater gardens are being considered for coastal hotels, proposed by Bali-based Wastewater Gardens NGO, to improve septic systems and limit the impact of excess nutrients in the seawater that are detrimental to coral growth and to keep the shoreline clean and healthy. Taman Sari Resort will be the first to install these gardens. As in the past, it is hoped other hotels and businesses will follow in Taman Sari’s footsteps. Staff training will parallel a public awareness campaign, the first steps in a village-scale campaign to stop point source pollution and the coral and seawater degradation it causes. The program will eventually include the whole Pemuteran watershed and become a prototype for dealing with wastewater and other pollution. 3. Master of Marine Sciences. Indonesian university students have limited or no facilities for marine research. Karang Lestari Project wants to establish a program at Bali’s Udayana University. Funding will provide students with transportation and board to set up coral growth and fish studies, to identify fish species and compare densities between the project and nearby control reefs. Indonesia desperately needs human resources to cope with this water management crisis. There are no Indonesian institutions to either educate students in scientific measurement of water pollution nor prepare students to use information to formulate effective coastal and marine management policies. Our vision is formulation of proper management policy to restore this area to its former state, and provide a template for similar projects throughout Indonesia and beyond. By striving for best management policy, we hope to make Udayana a center of excellence in marine and environmental studies for the rest of Indonesia. (See appendix 8) APPENDIX
· BBC News, Oct 2004: Shock Treatments for Coral Restoration, Clark Boyd · Associated Press, Aug 2004: Jolts of Electricity Revive Damaged Reefs, Marilyn August · Gulf News, July 2004: Insight: Breathing Life into Dying Coral Reefs, Jay B. Hilotin · The Australian, June 2004: Reef Dreams, Melinda Ham · Asian Geographic, Jan 2004: The Most Unique Reef System in S.E. Asia, Michael Aw · Island Life, Dec 2002: New Horizons for Indonesia, I Gede Ardika, Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism. · New Scientist, July 2002: Electric Reefs, Caspar Henderson · Jakarta Post, Feb 2002: Efforts Afoot to Protect Bali’s Coral Reefs, Pariama Hutasoit · A Vision for the UN SIDS Summit in Mauritius, January 2005: Sustainable Ocean Management for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Dr. Tom Goreau 5. Karang Lestari Pemuteran, a six-minute educational film, gives a visual overview of the coral reef degradation that occurred in Pemuteran and the community’s efforts to protect and restore. It is included in the enclosed CD titled Karang Lestari, in the folder titled “Pemuteran”. 6. Reef Reborn Into the Unseen World, a 50-minute documentary about the reef restoration and community involvement in Pemuteran, which has been distributed worldwide. Produced by New Zealand National Heritage, and directed by Michael Balson, it is enclosed on a separate CD as well as a VHS tape. 7. Karang Lestari Funding Proposal: The current itemized financial needs of the project are given in the CD titled Karang Lestari in the folder of the same name. 8. Marine Sciences Funding Proposal: A comprehensive vision of the Masters in Marine Sciences University Program including itemized financial needs is enclosed on the CD titled Karang Lestari in the folder of the same name.
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