26 Jul Buano Community Leaders Sign Preliminary Agreement to Set up Marine Protected Area (MPA)

Community members in Buano Islands, represented by the Head of Clans (Kepala Soa Adat), signed a sharing preliminary agreement to establish Buano Marine Protected Area (MPA) on Thursday, 26 July 2018. The signing also marked the end of a two-days Workshop and Public Consultation of Land and Marine Management Plan Development conducted by Coral Triangle Center under USAID SEA Project in collaboration with Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Burung Indonesia, Lembaga Partisipasi Pembangunan Masyarakat (LPPM) Maluku, and the Government of Maluku Province.

The signing was witnessed by representatives of other related stakeholders such as the local government staff in Buano Island, academe from University of Pattimura, Forestry Agency of Maluku Province, Tourism Agency of Maluku Province, Regional Development Planing Agency of Maluku Province, Police Department, and National Army. During the workshop, around 90 participants actively provided support, feedback and positive responses to the establishment of marine protected area of Buano Islands, as well as the commitment to ensure the process goes well as planned.

This collaborative workshop aimed to socialize the findings from earlier scientific activities done by CTC and LPPM to identify the potential and threats on land and marine resources in Buano Islands, and to initiate the development the management plan of marine protected area by accommodating the feedback, ideas, as well as local wisdom as main consideration. The signed agreement will serve as tangible evidence to strengthen the basis for further process of land and marine resource management plan development in Buano. CTC will continue the process by implementing more public consultation and data collection to ensure the Buano Islands obtains its legal status as reserved MPA at provincial level through the issuance of Governor’s Decree.