Conservation Practitioners Take Part in Seminars on

the Planning and Management of Marine Protected Areas

The Directorate General for Forest Protection and Nature Conservation of the Ministry of Forestry and The Nature Conservancy’s Southeast Asia Center for Marine Protected Areas (TNC-SEACMPA) recently organized two five-day seminars on the planning and management of marine protected areas, participated by national park directors, government officials and conservation practitioners. The seminars, held in TNC-SEACMPA’s training facility in Bali, were made possible by the sponsorship and support of WWF Indonesia, Natural Resources Management (NRM), Coastal Resources Management Project II (CRMPII), and the Conservation Training and Resources Center (CTRC).

The Director of Conservation of the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation-Ministry of Forestry, Ir. Adi Susmianto, MSc, said that a constant dilemma in conservation is the loss of short-term economic gains versus long-term or sustainable benefits. He said that seminars such as these will provide park directors and decision-makers with better tools to manage marine protected areas for the welfare of the people, in general, and local communities, in particular.

TNC-SEACMPA’s Training Manager, Gede Wiadnya, explained that the seminar provides the latest information and know-how on planning and management of marine protected areas. “Marine protected areas are effective tools for the conservation of marine biodiversity and to ensure the sustainable use of marine resources.” He further explained that the seminar covers the ecology of coral reef ecosystems (including commercially exploited organisms), major threats facing these ecosystems, and how these threats can be minimized through the establishment of marine protected areas.

Gede went on to explain that MPA planning and management trainings are one of TNC-SEACMPA’s main vehicles to share with partners and stakeholders its 10-year experience in marine conservation. These stakeholders include conservation practitioners from government agencies and NGOs, resource users as well as the private sector. “Our seminar has seen an increase in demand, and we will be conducting more workshops both in Bali and our program sites in Komodo and Derawan Islands. The training in Bali planned for October 2004 will be aimed specifically for NGOs and fisheries scientists.”

Meanwhile, Science Manager, Dr. Peter Mous, explained that TNC-SEACMPA is an international NGO that focuses on the implementation of MPA networks not only for biodiversity conservation but especially to ensure that resources are used sustainably. Peter sees MPA networks as the next generation fishery management tool. “TNC has been pioneering marine protected area management in Indonesia since 1996, starting with our work in support of the Komodo National Park, and now has expanded to Wakatobi National Park, the Raja Ampat Archipelago and the Derawan Islands.” Peter added that by forging partnerships between governments, communities and businesses, TNC seeks to establish collaborative management mechanisms for marine protected areas that respect local traditions and values.

International commitment on marine protected areas
Studies by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Environmental Programme show that almost 75% of the world’s seas, including Indonesia, are over-fished and that coral reef ecosystems are severely damaged due to destructive fishing practices.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, said in his World Environment Day message that the marine environment is facing challenges that, if not addressed immediately and effectively, will have profound implications for sustainable development. Less than two years ago, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, governments committed to time-bound goals to end
unsustainable fishing practices, restore depleted fish stocks, establish a regular global assessment of the marine environment, and create a representative network of marine protected areas. This last goal, to be achieved by 2012, is particularly important.

Earlier this year, at the Seventh Conference of the Parties for World Summit on Sustainable Development (COP-7 WSSD), 185 governments, including Indonesia, have committed to support the Global Program of Action on Protected Areas that will establish comprehensive, ecologically representative and effectively managed national and regional systems of protected areas.

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