To Reform or Not To Reform
Marine Ornamental Industry and Destructive Fishing in Indonesia
Starting in 1998, Telapak initiated and formed a joint effort with several NGOs working on coastal and marine issue to address the need to reform destructive fishing in Indonesia. The joint effort, dubbed ProMola, involves organizations like Lakpesdam in Makassar-South Sulawesi, Yascita in Kendari-Southeast Sulawesi, Yayasan Bahtera Nusantara in Bali, Hivlak in Tual-South Molucca, and YLL in Medan-North Sumatra. The original objectives of ProMOLA are:
1) to identify problems in local level related to marine resource
management;
2) to develop local capacity to conduct investigation and monitoring of illegal and destructive practices, analyze the results, and effectively utilize them for policy work;
3) to develop a mechanism for a joint effort of institutions and individuals to monitor marine resource management in Indonesia; and
4) to promote the integration of marine and coastal resource management into the Communiy Based Coastal Resource Management approach.
Telapak and its partners have then developed a holistic approach into destructive fishing reform, taking coral reef marine ornamental fish industry as a focus. The approach includes an overall reform of the destructive ornamental-fish fishing by providing an alternative technique, building a micro-enterprise scheme, and the development of local collection area management system. An important development was the link up of Telapak and the East Asia Seas and Terrestrial Initiatives (EASTI), which is based in Manila, to strengthen this pioneering approach of conservation, education, and economic development.
LES. The village in the northeastern coast of Bali is the more advanced site in which Telapak and its partner, the Denpasar-based Yayasan Bahtera Nusantara, has achieved the following:
1. Completely converted all ornamental fishers from cyanide fishers into non-cyanide fishers since 2003
2. Well organized fishers under the organization Mina Bhakti Soansari since 2002
3. Established the community-owned ornamental fish exporter company PT Bahtera LEStari since 2003 and is now producing and exporting the best quality fish from Indonesia
4. Established a village-level community-based coastal resource management, including total ban on cyanide fishing and set up of protected zone, all of which has been decreed in local customary-indigenous law.
5. Facilitated coral reef rehabilitation effort fully organized and led by the local community
6. Initiated an eco-tourism project run by local community, including its main attraction: Adopt the Coral!?
The GEF-SGP (www.sgp-indonesia.org) supported the work by providing funds for community organizing, trainings, and initial financing for the community enterprise. Telapak cherishes the multiplying effect of the reform effort in Les Village. Many villages have followed the example of Les, often on their own initiative and resources.
SERANGAN. The village of Serangan is located in Serangan Island, 10 minutes from downtown Denpasar, Bali. It is now connected by a bridge to the mainland. The local fishers group: Kelompok Nelayan Pesisir Karya Segara have achieved so much towards their environment and people's wellbeing. Together with Telapak since the beginning, in 2000, the fishers have:
1. Almost completely stop coral mining in the surrounding coral reefs
2. Almost completely converted all ornamental fishers from cyanide fishers into non-cyanide fishers
3. Established coral farms for both rehabilitation and economic purposes.
4. Established the community-owned exclusively cultured ornamental corals and base-rock exporter company PT Poros Nusantara Utama and is now producing and exporting the best quality cultured corals and base rock from Indonesia
5. Set aside some 400 sq meters of reef area as rehabilitation zone.
It has been a great pleasure for Telapak to be able to work together with the fishers association Karya Segara to develop this pioneering and novel approach of conservation and local economic empowerment: coral farming for rehabilitation and international marine ornamental trade. The Samdhana Institute (www.samdhana.org) supported the work in Serangan by providing the initial financing for coral farm in 2003. The UNDP GEF-SGP (www.sgp-indonesia.org) has been supporting the work by providing funds for community organizing and some construction works.
Marine Ornamental Industry and Destructive Fishing in Indonesia
Starting in 1998, Telapak initiated and formed a joint effort with several NGOs working on coastal and marine issue to address the need to reform destructive fishing in Indonesia. The joint effort, dubbed ProMola, involves organizations like Lakpesdam in Makassar-South Sulawesi, Yascita in Kendari-Southeast Sulawesi, Yayasan Bahtera Nusantara in Bali, Hivlak in Tual-South Molucca, and YLL in Medan-North Sumatra. The original objectives of ProMOLA are:
1) to identify problems in local level related to marine resource
management;
2) to develop local capacity to conduct investigation and monitoring of illegal and destructive practices, analyze the results, and effectively utilize them for policy work;
3) to develop a mechanism for a joint effort of institutions and individuals to monitor marine resource management in Indonesia; and
4) to promote the integration of marine and coastal resource management into the Communiy Based Coastal Resource Management approach.
Telapak and its partners have then developed a holistic approach into destructive fishing reform, taking coral reef marine ornamental fish industry as a focus. The approach includes an overall reform of the destructive ornamental-fish fishing by providing an alternative technique, building a micro-enterprise scheme, and the development of local collection area management system. An important development was the link up of Telapak and the East Asia Seas and Terrestrial Initiatives (EASTI), which is based in Manila, to strengthen this pioneering approach of conservation, education, and economic development.
LES. The village in the northeastern coast of Bali is the more advanced site in which Telapak and its partner, the Denpasar-based Yayasan Bahtera Nusantara, has achieved the following:
1. Completely converted all ornamental fishers from cyanide fishers into non-cyanide fishers since 2003
2. Well organized fishers under the organization Mina Bhakti Soansari since 2002
3. Established the community-owned ornamental fish exporter company PT Bahtera LEStari since 2003 and is now producing and exporting the best quality fish from Indonesia
4. Established a village-level community-based coastal resource management, including total ban on cyanide fishing and set up of protected zone, all of which has been decreed in local customary-indigenous law.
5. Facilitated coral reef rehabilitation effort fully organized and led by the local community
6. Initiated an eco-tourism project run by local community, including its main attraction: Adopt the Coral!?
The GEF-SGP (www.sgp-indonesia.org) supported the work by providing funds for community organizing, trainings, and initial financing for the community enterprise. Telapak cherishes the multiplying effect of the reform effort in Les Village. Many villages have followed the example of Les, often on their own initiative and resources.
SERANGAN. The village of Serangan is located in Serangan Island, 10 minutes from downtown Denpasar, Bali. It is now connected by a bridge to the mainland. The local fishers group: Kelompok Nelayan Pesisir Karya Segara have achieved so much towards their environment and people's wellbeing. Together with Telapak since the beginning, in 2000, the fishers have:
1. Almost completely stop coral mining in the surrounding coral reefs
2. Almost completely converted all ornamental fishers from cyanide fishers into non-cyanide fishers
3. Established coral farms for both rehabilitation and economic purposes.
4. Established the community-owned exclusively cultured ornamental corals and base-rock exporter company PT Poros Nusantara Utama and is now producing and exporting the best quality cultured corals and base rock from Indonesia
5. Set aside some 400 sq meters of reef area as rehabilitation zone.
It has been a great pleasure for Telapak to be able to work together with the fishers association Karya Segara to develop this pioneering and novel approach of conservation and local economic empowerment: coral farming for rehabilitation and international marine ornamental trade. The Samdhana Institute (www.samdhana.org) supported the work in Serangan by providing the initial financing for coral farm in 2003. The UNDP GEF-SGP (www.sgp-indonesia.org) has been supporting the work by providing funds for community organizing and some construction works.
