12 Oct A Clean October: No Zoning Violations Observed in Nusa Penida MPA

We’ve recently received good news from the surveillance team in the Nusa Penida marine protected area (MPA)! Apart from the increasing marine tourism activities and businesses slowly opening up, the surveillance team did not find any  MPA zoning violations in the area.

This regular monitoring activity, which took place on October 12, 2021, was conducted collaboratively between the surveillance team of the Bali Marine Conservation Management Unit (UPTD), the Water Police Unit of Klungkung District, and supported by CTC.

According to the surveillance activity report, the team managed to identify an increase in fishing and marine tourism activities. In detail, there were 11 fishermen who caught octopus and groupers, and five boats carrying 25 tourists. This figure is better than the results of a similar activity report in May 2021, where only six fishermen were found around Nusa Penida’s waters and almost no marine tourism activities.

However, the most reassuring result is that no violation of any MPA zoning rules were found by the surveillance team. This is significantly different from the latest monitoring results in May, when the team still found fishermen using compressors to catch fish and lobsters. The use of compressors can harm marine ecosystems in the area. No penalties were imposed to those violators at that time. The team only admonished fishermen and re-explained the purpose behind regulations regarding sustainable and environmentally friendly fisheries.

This result also serves as a positive indication of the successful outcomes of the hard work done by all stakeholders in this MPA in disseminating the information about the MPA and all the regulations that apply in the area. So far, CTC has played an active role in encouraging the Bali MAF Agency and MPA Management Unit to intensify the community awareness and socialization among all residents in Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan by emphasizing key messages about the importance of marine conservation to protect the rich marine biodiversity and socioeconomic benefits to local community.

On the other hand, the activity result also highlighted the recovery progress of the marine tourism sector in Nusa Penida after being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. For almost two years, the local coastal communities in these three islands have relied on their livelihoods solely from capture fisheries and seaweed farming. Nevertheless, the community in Nusa Penida have committed to protect the sea and its marine ecosystems during this pandemic so that the underwater tourism objects can be more attractive for visitors once tourism activities are allowed in the future.

Photos by Kasman/CTC & Gede/UPT KKP DKP Bali