Berau Declares the Establishment of a Marine Protected Area

The District Government of Berau has issued a decree declaring the establishment of a 1.2 million hectare marine pro-tected area (MPA). The Berau MPA encompasses the Derawan Archipelago and a zoning plan will be developed in close coordina-tion with the communities living in the area. The zoning plan will include different types of utilization and no-take areas. Traditional use zones are areas where only small-scale traditional fi shing is allowed, no-take zones are areas of critical habitat where no extractive activi-ties will be allowed, usually cover-ing areas where fi sh spawn and turtles nest. Other utilization zones are areas where legal types of fi shing, tourism and other activities are allowed. The District Govern ment of Berau worked together with the Steering Committee of Berau Coastal and Marine Man-agement and other stakeholders in determining the outer boundary for the protected area.

Prior to the issuance of the Decree, the local House of Representatives (DPRD) has also approved the establishment of the Berau MPA, at a hearing with the Steering Committee, held in Tanjung Redeb, in November 2005. The hearing was attended by 30 participants comprising Berau Declares the Establishment of a Marine Protected Area House members, Steering Com-mittee members, offi cials from the district offi ce for marine affairs and fi sheries, district planning bureau, district natural resources conser-vation offi ce, district tourism and cultural affairs offi ce, Berau envi ronment management board, and NGOs.

During the hearing discussions, House members stressed the importance of intensive socializa-tion of the MPA to the people living within the area. Specifi c focus will also be given to the careful con-sideration of zoning in line with community and economic develop-ment needs, ensuring support for sustainable traditional fi sheries, patrolling and law enforcement against illegal and destructive ac-tivities, development of alternative livelihoods, sustainable fi nancing for MPA management, and creat ing strong legal foundations for marine conservation.

The District Government and the House of Representatives recognize the need to protect and manage the marine resources of the region, providing an example of a protected area that is initiated by local people through a bottom-up process. Such initiative is a key requirement in this decentraliza-tion era, and successful conserva-tion of this region will benefi t many stakeholders as well as the marine ecosystems in the short and long-term.

The Derawan archipelago is an integral part of the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion that stretches across Indonesia, Ma-laysia and the Philippines. The region lies in the center of the Coral Triangle representing the highest levels of coral biodiversity in the world. Its reefs and related coastal livelihoods are critically endangered from continuing de-structive and other unsustainable fi shing practices. These islands also support the largest green turtle nesting and feeding ground in the Southeast Asia region.

In meetings with commu­nity members in more than 25 coastal villages, fishers have informed the Steering Commit­tee that the effort of catching fish has increased meanwhile the amount of catch decreases. They feel the need for management in more sustainable ways of marine resource use and welcome the initiative to establish an MPA. They stressed that they must be informed and allowed to give input to the placement and size of zoning areas and look forward to participating in the management of their resources.

Resource use monitoring that was carried out by the Joint Marine Programs of TNC-WWF-Mitra Pesisir, showed that non-resident fishers catch more fish than local fishers, with revenues 20 times higher. This is because they use other fishing gears and spent more time fishing. With the establishment of an MPA, regula­tions that protect the interest of lo­cal fishers can be enacted, includ­ing for example regulating fishing gears and fees based on catches.

WWF, TNC and previously USAID-funded CRMP-II/Proyek Pesisir, are helping to re­duce the threats caused by illegal and destructive fishing practices by enhancing capacity of local government and communities to manage the area better, enforc­ing existing Indonesian laws, and by raising awareness about the importance of protecting the area from destruction and non-sustain­able practices for long-term ben­efits to local communities.

The Steering Committee was established based on a Berau Regent Decree No. 225/2004. The Team is mandated to facilitate and socialize district regulations on integrated coastal resources management, facilitate the for­mation of a Joint Committee for the management of a marine protected area, and serve as a communications, consultation and coordination vehicle in integrated coastal and marine management. The Team comprises the regent of Berau, deputy regent of Berau, district secretary, head of the Be­rau Office for Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Head of the District Plan­ning Office, tourism and cultural office, Bapelda Berau, BKSDA Berau, Berau Forestry office, and Joint Secretariat consisting of NGOs Bestari, Kalbu, Mitra Pesi­sir, WWF, TNC and Kehati.