Bunaken’s Bounty, Suluwesi’s Sweet Spot A real paradise.
February 27th, 2007
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
Entry Filed under: World Tourism News
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