07 Apr Getting into the [Right] Zone: A Nusa Penida MPA update

Located to the east of Bali, Nusa Penida’s cluster of islands has been coined as one of Indonesia’s most efficient marine protected areas (MPA). Much of the MPA’s success is attributed to the implementation and effective management of Nusa Penida’s zoning system.
In Nusa Penida MPA, marine tourism generates wealth and employs people from surrounding local communities; however, irresponsible marine tourism activities can damage nearby coral reefs and have adverse affects on the area’s marine life.
Recent deployments of 7 illegal pontoons, and several violations of the zoning system, have sparked heated discussions between pontoon operators and the Nusa Penida management unit. The Coral Triangle Center (CTC) helped facilitate meetings between the organizations, and stressed the damaging effects of illegal pontoon deployment on coral reefs. Adverse effects for reefs include: broken corals and widespread growth of coral suffocating algae.
To mitigate future zoning system violations, CTC, along with Nusa Penida’s management unit, Klungkung District Government, and Marine Biologist Ir. Ketut Sudiarta from Warmadewa University, conducted underwater surveys to map out suitable areas for pontoon deployment outside of the MPA’s marine biodiversity core zone. Based on the survey results, pontoon violators will be relocated to a different area. CTC has also helped create and establish new rules to control future marine tourism activities.
Nusa Penida’s illegal pontoon problem is the first of its kind in Indonesia, and CTC hopes that this experience will highlight the importance of regulating marine tourism activities within MPAs across the archipelago.