The Rape of Indonesia's Reefs - Environmental

Waterlogged Date: 10/5/97

If you read the Indonesian Tourist Promotion Board's advertisements and the dive magazine ads of any dive operator based there, the country is awash in pristine coral reefs teeming with life. And it's true, Indonesia does have some of the most spectacular diving on the planet. The bad news is, it's disappearing so fast that in a decade the country may never see a visiting diver again. There are no reliable statistics on the health of Indonesia's coral reefs. Spread across more than 17,000 islands, the country is the world's largest archipelagic nation, and monitoring them is almost impossible. Indonesia sits smack in the center of marine biodiversity for the entire Indo-Pacific region, an area spanning over half the globe. Indonesia is signatory to a number of international wildlife and oceanic treaties which mandate reef and species protection, and it has numerous laws on the books as well. The problem is one of enforcement and what Western-based observers call corruption and Indonesians just call life. The country's coral reefs are being attacked on numerous fronts. Dynamite fishing, by indigenous local people but particularly by sophisticated foreign operators is epidemic in Indonesia. "Fish bombs" decimate reefs, destroying everything. In 1995, the Fantasea liveaboard (based in Phuket, Thailand) journeyed to the Mentawi Islands off the west coast of Sumatra in search of new diving. It found no living reefs in the region at all, even after searching over hundreds of miles. Taiwanese fishing boats are suspected of causing the destruction. A recent visitor to the Toka Bone Rate atoll in central Indonesia was shocked to find that, despite the pristine appearance of the atoll topside, below the reef had been reduced to rubble by dynamiting. She observed local fishermen bombing reefs, in effect destroying there own livelihood. Exploratory trips to atolls in the South China Sea off Brunei have revealed shattered reefs at remote atolls. It's not just fish bombing that kills reefs. Cyanide fishing is an equally damaging practice fueled by the demand for live fish in restaurants throughout East Asia, but particularly in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Using potassium cyanide on reefs is illegal in Indonesia. The Indonesia Navy is responsible for enforcing the law, yet admits it completely lacks the resources to do so. Cynics say it lacks the will as well, and would rather spend hundreds of millions of dollars on submarines and other craft than on a fleet of basic coastal patrol boats. In addition, the very development that brings divers and tourists into the country: the beach hotels, coastal golf courses and dive operations, all have the potential to cause serious damage to delicate reef communities. Environmentally sensitive construction and proper reef usage can minimise or even eliminate reef damage, if developers and dive operators take care. In the real world, this sometimes proves to be the exception rather than the rule, as building permits are bought as needed and the local authorities are paid to look the other way. Resort builders routinely let sediments, raw sewage and other pollutants drain off hotels and construction sites onto nearby reefs. Some dive operators toss their boat anchors over the side without regard to where they fall. Others send the divemaster down first to find suitable locations. At Kungkungan Bay Resort in Manado, divemaster Larry Smith created inexpensive moorings using old tires and concrete. Another destructive approach to fishing is the trap net. Recently, two enormous (and illegal) nets were discovered off North Sulawesi's Tangkoko Nature Reserve near Manado. Designed to funnel migrating marine animals through a maze into an enclosure from which they could not find their way out, the nets were part of a large operation directed by Taiwanese owners with Indonesian partners. In less than 13 months, the trap nets killed thousands of manta rays, dolphins, pilot whales, turtles, whale sharks and other fish, based on records acquired through a former employee of the company. The nets were shut down only after pressure from a few local activists and international exposure through the media and online ( Massive destruction of Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles and Fish reported from Trap Nets in pelagic migratory channel). Conservationists are convinced there are more nearby, as yet undiscovered. Shockingly, as of September 1997 the murderous nets are once again in operation. Several Indonesian army generals are suspected of backing the company and using their considerable influence to ignore Environmental Ministry regulations. Local conservation organisations have thrown up their hands in despair. The driving force to protect coral reefs has to come from the local inhabitants, with the full support and legal authority of the government. However, many reefs are in open waters away from any particular village or town. That's where government enforcement is essential. The current situation, where foreign-based companies rape the reefs of Indonesia is a national shame. It deprives the Indonesian people of what is beautiful and unique about their environment as well as a source of much-needed tourist revenue. Ultimately, money talks. Declarations about the importance of the ocean environment and biodiversity have little effect. Divers can exert influence by patronizing those operators who show respect for the reefs. When you visit an operation, observe how they anchor when diving, how the resort sewage is handled (ask for a tour), where trash is disposed of. Communicate what you saw to your friends and publications like this one, and even better, use Internet forums such as the rec.scuba newsgroup to publicize environmental abuses. A healthy coral reef can generate millions in tourist revenue for decades to come. A dead reef makes a few people rich for a few years, and then it's lost forever. Write expressing your concerns about Indonesia's marine environment to: Sarwano Kusuma Atmadja, Minister of Environment, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 15, Jakarta Pusat, Republic of Indonesia Related articles: Manado Eco-Tourism Conference: Weak Attendance for a Strong Message Manado Marine Life Slaughter Exposed Writer Barry Brisco is unavailable until late November. Mail sent to ReefRape@SeaHorseTales.com will be held for him. Story by Barry Brisco.

Send us an email.