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The Raja Ampat Islands
In the Heart of the Coral Triangle
Bird’s eye view of the karst islands in Misool, Raja
Ampat ©Jez O’HareThe Raja Ampat, or “Four Kings,” archipelago
encompasses around 4 million hectares of land and sea off the
northwestern tip of Indonesia’s West Papua Province. Located in the
Coral Triangle, the heart of the world’s coral reef biodiversity,
the seas around Raja Ampat hold the richest variety of coral species
recorded in the world. Raja Ampat includes the four large islands of
Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, and Misool, plus hundreds of smaller
islands.
The area’s massive coral colonies show that its reefs are resilient
to threats like coral bleaching and disease — threats that now
jeopardize the survival of corals around the world. In addition,
Raja Ampat’s strong ocean currents sweep coral larvae across the
Indian and Pacific Oceans to replenish other reef ecosystems. Raja
Ampat’s coral diversity, resilience to threats, and ability to
replenish reefs make it a global priority for marine protection. The
archipelago is part of an area known as the Bird’s Head seascape,
which also contains Cendrawasih Bay, the largest marine national
park in Indonesia, and Jamursba Medi, housing some of the most
important sea turtle nesting beaches in the world.
Survey Confirms Highest Marine Biodiversity on Earth
In 2002, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and its partners conducted a
scientific survey of the Raja Ampat Islands to collect information
on its marine ecosystems, mangroves, and forests. The survey brought
Raja Ampat’s total number of confirmed corals to 537 species—an
incredible 75% of all known coral species. In addition, 828 fish
species were recorded, raising the known total for Raja Ampat to an
amazing 1,074. On land, the survey found lush forests, rare plants,
limestone outcroppings, and nesting beaches for thousands of sea
turtles. Though human impacts here are less severe than elsewhere in
Indonesia, Raja Ampat’s natural resources are threatened by
overfishing and destructive fishing, turtle poaching, and
unsustainable logging.
Ensuring Conservation through Partnerships To address these issues,
TNC is working in close partnership with the government,
communities, nonprofits and the private sector by: 1) contributing
to the development of a comprehensive conservation action plan to
protect Raja Ampat’s reefs and forests; 2) helping incorporate
marine protected area management into the regency’s long-term
planning and policy; and, 3) supporting the establishment of a
network of marine protected areas for Raja Ampat for the protection
of biodiversity and sustaining ecosystem goods and services.
Supporting Policies
for Sustainable Resource-Use Management
The Raja Ampat Regency Government established six new marine
protected areas (MPAs) in December 2006, making it the first
Indonesian district to declare an MPA network. TNC and Conservation
International (CI) are working collaboratively to support the
government in the planning and management of the MPA network by
providing technical assistance, expert advice and education. Through
surveys and monitoring of reef health, fish populations and patterns
of resource use, TNC provides technical input towards designing a
zoning system and management plans for the Kofiau and South East
(SE) Misool MPAs that would allow local communities to benefit from
their marine resources while ensuring fish stocks are protected in
no-take areas.
The Raja Ampat Government has also issued a decree for a joint
patrolling system that involves cross-sectored divisions of the
government, law enforcers and communities. TNC is supporting this
initiative by providing a wooden boat that serves as a Floating
Patrolling Station for Kofiau and Misool to protect the area from
illegal marine activities such as destructive fishing and turtle
poaching. TNC and partners are working closely with the Tourism and
Fisheries Departments, and representatives from live-aboard dive
industry, local non-government organizations and local communities
to introduce a tourism entrance fee system within Raja Ampat. Funds
raised are reinvested into tourism development, conservation and
community health projects in Raja Ampat.
Reaching Out, Taking Conservation Action
In encouraging community participation in conservation initiatives,
TNC conducts various activities including a Pride Campaign in
collaboration with RARE. The campaign has improved conservation
awareness among local communities through a series of site-specific
education programs that are delivered to stakeholders by radio,
puppet shows, pamphlets, and local gatherings. A post-campaign
survey shows promising result; in Kofiau and SE Misool, the
percentage of the local community that understands the link between
healthy coral reefs and increased fish catch has increased
significantly. Local communities in Kofiau and Misool have also
established 10 small-scale village marine protected areas. The
communities are reviving the practice of sasi – a traditional
seasonal closure of marine areas to allow certain species to
reproduce or grow. TNC is working with the Indonesia Locally-Managed
Marine Area Network in supporting the government develop local
content for elementary school curricula that incorporates marine
conservation topics into natural science subjects. CI and TNC are
also running an Education under Sail marine conservation program
using the 32-m wooden boat, the Kalabia, that circumnavigates the
archipelago, bringing conservation education to over 88 schools in
Raja Ampat. This program offers experiential learning, targeting
elementary schoolchildren.
Education modules include “field visits” to mangrove forests, coral
reefs teeming with life, and sea grass beds where turtles and
dugongs feed; games like the Ecosystem Detective, and Tantangan
Teteruga or Challenges of the Turtles.
TNC’s ultimate goal is to protect Raja Ampat’s magnificent reefs
while sustaining the livelihoods of local people.
CONSERVATION IN RAJA
AMPAT ISLANDS
The Raja Ampat Archipelago is known as the “crown jewel” in the
Papuan “Bird’s Head Seascape” (named for the distinctive shape of
the northwestern section of the island of New Guinea), an area with
unparalleled marine biodiversity.
As of September 2008, current species tallies for the Bird’s Head
include over 1356 species of coral reef fish (including 1223 in Raja
Ampat alone and at least 25 endemics known only from this region),
600 species of hard coral (75% of the world’s total and over ten
times the number of coral species found in the entire Caribbean),
and 57 species of mantis shrimp (including 8 endemic species known
only from the Bird’s Head). Other important features of the Bird’s
Head include karst forests full of rare orchids, birds of paradise,
tree kangaroos, regionally-important green and hawksbill turtle
rookeries, whale and dolphin aggregations, and the world’s largest
Pacific Leatherback Turtle nesting beaches in the
Jamursbamedi-Warmon coast of the Northern Bird’s Head.
As more is discovered about Raja Ampat, its global significance
continues to grow. There is now clear evidence that the coral around
Raja Ampat may be naturally more resilient to fluctuations in
temperatures, and thus more likely to withstand the impacts of
global climate change. Powerful ocean currents carry larvae from
Raja Ampat to reefs in other parts of Indonesia and the Pacific,
making Raja Ampat the heart of the “supply chain” of species. This
transport may help to replenish other reefs which have been damaged
by disease, bleaching, overfishing, and other detrimental
activities.
" Without
question, Raja Ampat and the broader Bird’s Head Seascape rank as
global priorities for marine conservation! "
Until fairly recently,
Raja Ampat’s isolation and low human population have played a large
part in keeping its reefs healthy and thriving. However, the
region’s rich coastal and marine resources have made it a target for
economic development ranging from fisheries and marine tourism, to
more destructive activities such as oil and gas exploration, mining
and logging. And thus the paradox of Raja Ampat – world unique,
globally outstanding, literally bursting at the seams with
biodiversity - yet highly threatened.
Local governments and stakeholders require strong support in
developing effective, sustainable coastal and marine resource
management that conserves biodiversity while benefiting local
communities. To date, that support is coming from a highly dedicated
team of over 200 international and local conservation NGO staff
focused on improving the management of Raja Ampat. Working in
concert with the local and national government and other local
institutions and stakeholders, two international conservation NGOs,
Conservation International (CI) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) as
well as the Indonesian government’s Coral Reef Rehabilitation and
Management Program (COREMAP) are facilitating the management of the
7 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) recently declared in Raja Ampat. The
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and local NGO, Papuan Sea Turtle
Foundation, play a key role in sea turtle conservation in the
archipelago. In addition, the three international NGOs—CI, TNC and
WWF—have an ambitious partnership throughout the Bird’s Head
Seascape.
Together, these organizations have focused on a comprehensive
three-pronged approach to conservation in Raja Ampat.
The first initiative has centered on the scientific characterization
of Raja Ampat, including its biodiversity and the important
large-scale ecological and oceanographic processes that influence
this diversity. Besides generating world record species lists and
describing dozens of new and endemic species, this initiative has
also succeeded in revealing patterns of genetic and oceanographic
“connectivity” that are critical to understand in order to develop
plans to manage the region’s marine resources in a sustainable
manner.
The second set of strategic conservation activities, conducted
simultaneously with the scientific characterization of Raja Ampat,
has focused on creating an “enabling environment” for effective
conservation and collaborative management of Raja Ampat’s rich
marine resources. Over the past 3 years, the various conservation
teams have worked intensively with the local government and citizens
in the 90 remote villages of Raja Ampat to both better understand
their development aspirations and align them with a sustainable
vision for the area while also dramatically increasing local
understanding and appreciation of Raja Ampat’s biodiversity, the
threats to it, and the need for local leadership in effectively
managing it. So far, the response of local traditional leaders and
village chiefs has been overwhelmingly positive. To learn more about
some of these outreach and education programs
The final strategic initiative (based upon the scientific
Understanding and strong local community support generated by the
first two strategies) has been to facilitate the establishment of an
ecologically-connected network of marine protected areas (MPAs)
across Raja Ampat. In May 2007, the Raja Ampat government declared a
network of seven MPAs that together covers nearly 900,000 hectares
and approximately 45% of Raja Ampat’s coral reefs and mangroves.
Effectively implemented, these MPAs should ensure the long term
health and sustainability of Raja Ampat’s marine ecosystems. One
outstanding achievement has been the work of the local NGO, Papua
Sea Turtle Foundation, which has run a highly successful turtle nest
program in the major rookery of Sayang-Piai in the Kawe MPA,
effectively eliminating turtle poaching and protecting over 2000
green turtle nests in the past 2 years.
These three initiatives have made impressive progress over the past
5 years, but there is still much work to be done. Raja Ampat’s MPA
network needs to be “operationalized” and the restrictions on
destructive and unsustainable fishing practices strictly enforced.
Marine tourism development must be carefully managed to provide
optimal benefits for local communities while minimizing its
“footprint” in the area. Perhaps most importantly, we face a
continuous uphill battle to impress upon policy-makers and community
leaders the need to wisely conserve and manage this area, as the
seemingly inexhaustible global demand for commodities ranging from
fish to minerals to timber products continues to create strong
short-term financial incentives to mine all of these resources from
Raja Ampat.
Hopefully, with the continued dedication of conservation NGOs, the
local and national government, and local stakeholders, and the firm
support of the marine tourism sector, the reefs of Raja Ampat will
continue to thrive.
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