In West Papua province’s Raja Ampat islands, a local fisheries conservation initiative is setting a global standard

Bobby Anderson in  Inside Indonesia 112: Apr-Jun 2013

Local adat (traditional law) chiefs recall a time when the sea around Batbitim Island in southeastern Raja Ampat was once an Eden, before boats from outside began to strip the stocks bare. Raja Ampat hosts more varieties of hard and soft coral than any other area on earth. The colours of the reefs resemble old corner shops selling confectioners penny candy of every colour and gloss. The diversity of reef and pelagic fishes on these reefs is unrivalled: shoals and schools intermingle and occasionally explode in panic at the arrival of a pack of hunting devil rays or a grey reef shark.

Read the report in pdf:  No-take zones

Comments:

Tue 16 July 2013 01:40 am +3
What a wonderful article - it's so good to hear good news about conservation. Hopefully, eventually the rest of Indonesia will see the light and do similar works.

My son lives in Jakarta, married to an Indonesian, so we visit as often as possible - particularly Bali so we are particularly interested in what goes on over there. Hopefully also one day someone will also find that cleaning up the beaches on Bali will bring it's rewards.

Sandra Symons