From July 30 to August 2, CTC in collaboration with Yayasan Planet Indonesia (YPI) conducted a training in the principles of marine protected area (MPA) management in Pontianak. The four-day training aimed to increase the capacity of participants in Marine Protected Area (MPA) management, especially in the Karimata Islands Marine Nature Reserve (Cagar Alam Kepulauan Karimata), which is managed by  The West Kalimantan Nature Conservation Agency (BKSDA Kalimantan Barat) with support from YPI. Karimata Islands were declared a marine nature reserve in 1985 under a Ministry of Environment  and Forestry  (KLHK)  Decree.  The MPA covers 210,000 hectares and has rich marine biodiversity as well as charismatic species such as the dugong and turtles. 

The training, led by CTC was attended by 16 participants from both BKSDA and YPI. It covered  six topics  from the “Principles of Marine Protected Areas” (MPA 101) namely:  coastal ecosystem ecology, fish ecology and fisheries management, the basics of conservation areas, education programs for conservation areas, educational tourism for conservation areas and an initial activity for preparing the management planning process. It also included Biophysical-Coral Reef Monitoring and Socioeconomics and Preparation of the Management Plan Documents. A competency assessment will also be conducted in 2024 through the cooperation between YPI and CTC. 

“After attending this training, I’ve learned a lot about conservation areas. I finally understand how to communicate conservation messages to the community informally through casual discussions. I want all communities in the Karimata Island Marine Nature Reserve to benefit from the programs conducted by BKSDA and YPI.” said Sirajjudin from BKSDA.

Providing participants with foundational knowledge across six key topics of Marine Protected Area (MPA) management  has laid the groundwork for protecting and sustaining the rich marine biodiversity of Karimata Islands, ensuring that its ecosystems and iconic species like the dugong continue to thrive for future generations.

Writers: Adam Putra, Kasman, Wienda Ardiyani, Silvianita Timotius, Denny Boy Mochran
Photos: Kasman/CTC, Yayasan Planet Indonesia