Indonesia and World Tourism News

Bunaken’s Bounty, Suluwesi’s Sweet Spot A real paradise.

A real paradise. SERINA RAHMAN discovers the beauty of Bunaken National Marine Park, as pretty as displayed in guide books and glossy dive magazines. As a model marine park, we can learn a lot from the strong partnerships of park managers, local communities and tourism operators to maintain the sanctity of Bunaken.

Crystal-clear waters. Curtains of butterflyfish. A pelagic parade. Rainbow-hued walls of soft and hard coral. Every imaginable species of marine life and more. You hear it all the time – every destination sells itself as the best. You want to believe it but you are afraid of the inevitable disappointment. Nothing is ever as good as they make it sound in the pretty brochures…

But this is Bunaken and it’s okay to believe it – because every single claim is true. I first jumped into Bunaken’s bathtub-clear waters in 2003. Visibility was incredible and the quantity of life was unbelievable. The reefs drop off to depths of 1.5km and every inch of wall that we drifted past was ensconced in an infinite display of life. Soft coral, sponges, squirts, invertebrates, echinoderms – you name it… and you’re bound to spot it.

At 37m depth there is still light from the sun and as you hastily ascend to safer levels you are cocooned in shoals of snapper, bannerfish and anthias. The only disappointment you’ll taste in Bunaken is that sinking feeling you get when it’s time to go home.

The Bunaken National Marine Park (BNMP) is home to myriad species of fish, coral and innumerable other marine organisms and life-forms. Although the exact numbers are still unknown, credible estimates have placed the diversity of this area at slightly higher than the Philippines, which is known to have nearly 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-Pacific.

Larvae and plankton trapped in swirling ocean currents, countercurrents and gyros attract pelagics to the area – barracuda, tuna and trevally are common on these reefs and whales are known to drop by frequently. Recently the oceanic depths revealed the presence of mystic coelacanths – a prehistoric fish thought to have died with the dinosaurs. Mangroves fringing the coast are thriving nurseries to marine fish and the accompanying fields of sea grass are home to the endangered and elusive dugong.

Unlike many of South East Asia’s rich marine areas, Bunaken does not suffer from the perennial threats of fish bombing and cyanide fishing. How did this region manage to preserve their irreplaceable marine heritage while so many others in the vicinity have failed? Successful steps have been taken to proactively involve villagers, fishermen, tourism operators and government bodies to collaborate for the protection of the marine environment – and to the benefit of all.

Formed in 1991, BNMP encompasses a total surface area of 89,065 hectares and includes in its borders 22 villages with approximately 30,000 people. The traditional means of income for many of these islanders included destructive fishing practices for the aquarium trade and the harvesting of mangroves for timber and coral for sand.

Key to the success of this marine park is the provision of alternative sources of income for these villagers. The North Sulawesi Watersports Association (NSWA), a grouping of 7 marine tourism companies, and one of the partners in Bunaken’s co-management program, pledged to hire mainly locals as boatmen, crew and dive guides. They also sponsor local handicraft programs and have recently started a scholarship scheme to send promising village youths to high school and university.

Following the Bonaire Marine Park system, BNMP charges an entrance fee to the marine park. Thanks to the Indonesian government’s move to decentralize its administrative functions to the regions, 80% of the earnings from this entrance fee go back to both the villagers and the running and maintenance of the marine park – including the financing of patrols and marine park enforcement.

Entrance fee revenue has also been distributed to individuals or villages in the form of grants. This seed money has spawned English courses for children, the construction of village infrastructure such as wells, toilets and footpaths and mangrove replanting projects.

NGOs played a part in the development of programs that have contributed to the success of the marine park. WWF Wallacea works with local park rangers and villagers to patrol and enforce marine park regulations around the clock. Together they have almost eradicated illegal fishing threats from both inside and outside the community. Their work has even lead to the arrest and imprisonment of a number of perpetrators.

USAID’s Natural Resource Management Program has helped to develop non-tourism livelihood opportunities for the islanders. These include teaching local women to produce and use energy-efficient clay ovens and to make charcoal from coconut husks. These the women make to use themselves as well as to sell to neighbouring villages – reducing their dependence on vital mangrove habitats for firewood, their expenditure on diesel as well as their health risks due to smoke from wood-burning stoves.

A newly set up group, the Bunaken Volunteer Program, garners the energy and enthusiasm of young international volunteers to develop and implement a marine conservation education program for local schools. This program, covering both classroom and fieldwork, encourages the new generations to appreciate the area’s aquatic assets and learn to preserve and protect them early on in life.

These then are the secrets to Bunaken’s success and the recipe for its thriving marine life. Not only does the community benefit both directly and indirectly from the preservation of the marine ecosystem, they have a voice equal to that of tourism operators and government organizations. Community leaders represent one third of Bunaken’s Management Advisory Board and are completely involved in the decision making on issues that will inevitably affect their families and their livelihoods.

It was a difficult learning process and there will always be challenges, but Bunaken National Marine Park is the golden example of successful responsible tourism at work. Economically the park is a success – divers from all over the world flock to this hot pot of vibrant biodiversity year round and tourism revenue goes directly back to the communities who in turn protect the park and its marine inhabitants for their own longevity and prosperity. Everyone wins.

Source : wildasia.net

Add comment February 27th, 2007

Bali by Balinese: The JED Ecotourism Experience

Bali exudes the essence of mass tourism with its endless stream of seaside hotels and throbbing nightclubs, find out how WILD ASIA’s Seed Grant supports villages that offer a glimpse into the genuine ways of Balinese life.

Bali beckons like no other tourist destination. It is a unique blend of Hindu and animist beliefs and customs, stunning tropical scenery set in hilly terrain, and a sense of serenity not found elsewhere. While Balinese look upward to the mountains as the holy source of the island’s goodness, tourists flock to the sea to exalt in the paradise that is all about fun in the sun.

A volcanic chain stretches east to west with numerous mountains rising like sentinels to protect the island’s invaluable rivers, ash-enriched foothill slopes and fertile plains that extend to the sea. All of these attributes enable the Balinese people to survive. However, today, booming tourism also competes with these resources as well as provides other means of financial sustenance. So what happens when decision-makers in Jakarta turn the Balinese into a tourist attraction on their own turf?

As an alternative, Jaringan Ekowisata Desa (JED or the Village Ecotourism Network) offers a new approach to Bali’s mass tourism tactics. JED was launched in 2002 in response to current tourism trends and was designed and is owned by the communities of the following Balinese villages with the assistance from Wisnu Foundation, one of Bali’s oldest environmental NGOs:

Kiadan Pelaga, located in the central highlands, is an organic coffee growing region with a mixture of vegetative landscapes to enjoy bird watching.

Dukuh Sibetan is well known for its ’salak’, or snake fruit, one of the only crops able to survive the blanket of ash after nearby Mt Agung’s violent eruption in 1973, and jaunts through plantations offer awesome scenery and temples.

Tenganan Pegringsingan is an ancient village dating from the 11th century that retains many unique customs and beliefs and remains a center of weaving expertise, a source of local pride.

Ceningan Island’s main industry is seaweed farming, but the village offers multitudes of sun, sea and quiet, including guided treks to view planting and harvest of seaweed.

By choosing four distinctly different Balinese villages, JED helps visitors explore the forgotten parts of the island and its indigenous culture that relies on the environment, not just entertainment. Aiming to supplement village livelihoods, support environmental education and strengthen pride in customs and traditions, the JED experience seeks participation from a local perspective.

The true benefit for travellers is getting a ‘real feel’ for the Balinese, beyond the canards of ceremonies performed for tourist consumption. Instead of observance to local rituals and sensitivities, too many of Bali’s practices promote showy spectacles to astonish outsiders. And the pressure to divert freshwater for golf courses and convert rice paddies to hotels takes a toll on the fragile balance of living off the land.

Environment and education intertwine on each trip with JED. By travelling to both hotspots and eco-villages, tourists see the results of mismanagement and its impacts on the ecosystem, economy and life of local villagers. At the heart of the JED experience is its local access: local guides, local foods, and community designed and managed trips. Even the profits from JED trips contribute to development and conservation activities in the villages.

JED is also a Wild Asia Seed Grant recipient. Set up to spark ecotourism and environmental projects, Wild Asia believes that a little effort coupled with a little pot of money goes a long way towards making a difference to local communities and conservation areas. With Seed Grant funds, among other monies sourced, JED was able to launch its website, print brochures and embark on building relationships with sympathetic hotels to promote its excursions to interested clients.

The support from Wild Asia has been invaluable,” says Virginia Simpson, JED volunteer coordinator, “We still have a way to go, and are in need of a few more funds, but you’ve given us a good start.” In addition, JED is now engaging travel agents from Bali and Java to understand and encourage its ecotourism packages and training a new coordinator, whose wages are contributed collectively from the villages. And organic products, such as coffee and salak wine, produced by villagers are being showcased in local exhibitions.

For tourists, Bali is an experience all of its own. But for the Balinese, the JED project is a way to both raise funds and raise community esteem. It’s a unique opportunity to share in Balinese pride of place and tradition and to see what the island is all about beyond the glitter of Kuta beach.

Source : wildasia.net

Add comment February 27th, 2007