Tag Archives: Education

Ozon, Healthy Blue Earth and Papuan Youths

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Sukarno once said “Give me ten young men, I will undoubtedly shake the world.” The phenomenal statement shows how influential young people are in changing the face of Indonesia. Papua, the second largest island on the planet, is known as the epicenter of the world’s biodiversity to researchers due to its high level of biodiversity.

West Papua is a province founded in 1999 in Papua Island. The province that looks like the head of a bird of paradise has important natural resources that need to be maintained to ensure a healthy blue earth. It has an abundance of wetlands consisting of estuaries, coral reefs, peats, swamps, mangroves, lagoons, bays, and coastal forests.

All these natural resources contribute to sustaining the source of life. However in reality, there are certain activities that lead to the deterioration of such resources, inevitably inciting local and global impacts. Within a few decades, climate change issues that affect a number sectors at once, such as the ever-expanding ozone hole, have become a hot topic worldwide.

Indonesia, as one of the countries having a part in creating the problem, has been making a lot of mitigation efforts to address it. West Papua, believed to be one of the last places in Indonesia that still maintain high biodiversity and is well-preserved, can be an alternative to support these efforts.

What is the Ozone Layer?

Ozone is a pale blue gas which is composed of three oxygen atoms (O3). Ozone is a colorless substance floating between 15 to 30 kilometers from the Earth’s surface—on the stratospheric clouds, to be exact. The main contributors that form the ozone layer are the sun, halogen, and low temperature. When the temperature drops below the threshold, clouds form in the stratosphere. Hologen, particularly pollutants such as chlorine and bromine, transforms into highly-reactive chemicals in the ozone. The ozone layer protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

The Relationship between Ozone Layer and Global Warming

Global warming is a rise in the average temperature of the atmosphere, oceans, and Earth’s surface caused by increasing concentration of greenhouse gases. The biggest contributors to global warming are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and gases used for refrigerators and air conditioners (CFCs), also other gases known as greenhouse gases that envelop the earth and trap heat. Forest degradation, which impairs the forest’s capacity to store CO2, further aggravates this condition, as dying trees release more CO2 previously stored in their tissues into the atmosphere.

When we hear that the ozone hole on earth is getting wider, it means we are losing more ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, specifically in the stratosphere. Meanwhile, global warming produces heat that affects the lower atmosphere, specifically the troposphere, because of increasing concentration of heat-entrapping gases or what we know as greenhouse gases. The more heat trapped in the troposphere, the less heat escaping into space, which results in a colder stratosphere. The colder the stratosphere can cause the greater damage to the ozone layer. Therefore, we can conclude that global warming and the ozone layer are interconnected.

Saving the Peatlands, Fixing the Ozone Layer

In recent decades, human activities contribute to the further damage of ozone layer through the use of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in household appliances, such as refrigerators, air conditioners, hair sprays, paint sprayers, and materials used in pesticides and insecticides. The CFC compound is known as Freon.

Today, environmental damage such as forest fires which generate Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is blamed to be one of the factors exacerbating the onset of the ozone hole. It is undeniable that the bleak years of dense smog from forest fires have become a scourge for Indonesia. Within the past five years, fires have become prevalent in the peatlands of Sumatra Island, and in 2015, forest fires have even spread to the island of Papua.

Reducing the use of gases that damage the ozone layer is a key to prevent the widespread damage to the ozone layer. One of the steps that can be taken is to save the forests. In West Papua, there are certain natural resources that can be used to save the ozone layer, one of which is peatlands.

The 8 million hectares of peatland in Papua serves as a natural carbon sink. On the other hand, if not administered properly, they can be a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon Dioxide in large number will be released into the atmosphere when these peatlands are converted. Of course, the impact of this conversion will not be as direct as damaging the ozone layer, but will happen gradually.

Conserving Peatlands are crucial to make sure carbon remains stored in them. Preserving peatlands in West Papua will contribute to reducing the damage to the ozone layer. It is important to note that wetlands, including peats, store 90% of the freshwater reserves, thus they can be regarded as a source of life.

The Ozone and Papuan Youths

Universities, as the center of knowledge and producer of the next generation in Papua, have a major role in generating scientific data through research, as well as being the basis for delivering balanced information to the public. Students, who are native Papuans, can act as “agents of change” if supported by knowledge they learn in universities, science seminars, as well as other informal activities.

In order to increase wider participation of young people to support the reduction of carbon emissions in West Papua, Conservation International came as a guest speaker at a Public Lecture on Wetlands held in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Papua in August 2016. On the occasion, Simon, a student in the Biology Department of University of Papua, asked the roles of students to support the sustainability of natural resources in West Papua.

The majority of West Papuans, especially those inhabiting wetlands, are unaware of the functions, benefits of and impacts on the ecosystems they are living in. It is important to note that some Papuans still depend their livelihoods on nature, so it suffices to say that nature is their source of life. Simon added that information disseminated through public lectures could provide more knowledge for the students about the link between natural resources and climate change, increasing carbon in the atmosphere, as well as local community’s participation in supporting the conservation of their environment.

In the context of natural resource sustainability, students as future leaders can be ambassadors for the environment, who will change the face of West Papua’s environment by contributing as a funnel to deliver information to the smallest units of society, which are families in villages and local communities at sub-districts and district levels.

In general, the younger generations are familiar with the function of wetlands in West Papua, but some key important information is not available. That should be disseminated to encourage natural resource sustainability and ensure Indonesia’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions. Through Public Lectures featuring guest speakers from different sectors, students can gain broader horizons to focus more on voicing the advantages and disadvantages of managing wetlands, as well as studying them through research and community service.

Peatlands in West Papua are still in good condition. They can be used as an alternative in the efforts to reduce carbon emissions in Indonesia, as long as managed properly. The better condition of a peatland will better contribute to preserving the ozone layer. Conservation International (CI) believes that people need nature to live and thrive. CI is aware that development is inevitable. However, preserving sustainable natural resources with proper management has now become a top priority in order to achieve a healthy blue earth.

Author : Nita Yohana, Published : http://www.conservation.org

http://www.conservation.org/global/indonesia/cerita/Pages/Ozon,-Earth-and-Young-Papuans.aspx

 

 

 

Bameti dan Balobe : Tradisi Pemanfaatan Sumberdaya Laut yang Berkelanjutan

by in Article, Column, Conservation, Culture, Environment, Essay, Marine and Coastal, Photography, Travel, Writing and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

 

Balobe

Waktu menunjukan 02.00 WIT,  ketika Ledrik Sawy (42 tahun) memompa lampu petromak di atas kole-kole (sejenis perahu tradisional Papua yang terbuat dari satu buah kayu utuh), dan secepat kilat Jonathan Wega (38 tahun) mengayuh pengayuh, untuk mengarahkan haluan menuju pulau tiga di depan kampung Wamesa di Kaimana, Papua Barat.

Dini hari ketika air laut surut, beberapa masyarakat turun ke laut balobe. Balobe adalah istilah yang digunakan masyarakat pesisir Papua untuk kegiatan mencari hasil laut dengan menggunakan alat penikam yang disebut dengan kalawai. Kalawai  merupakan sebuah tombak yang digunakan untuk menikam buruan atau mangsa yang terbuat dari kayu dengan ujungnya terdapat besi tajam bermata tiga. Aktivitas balobe dilakukan pada malam hari, terutama ketika bulan gelap. Biasanya, masyarakat balobe ikan, teripang, lobster, dan terkadang gurita. “Ketika bulan gelap, hewan laut terutama ikan tidak banyak melakukan perpindahan secara cepat” tutur Ledrik Sawy. Di saat itulah kesempatan untuk menikam ikan dengan bantuan penerangan lampu petromak.

Balobe sudah dilakukan sejak dahulu sebelum alat tangkap ikan berkembang. Sebenarnya, Balobe merupakan penangkapan yang ramah lingkungan, karena tidak merusak karang, ataupun menangkap berlebihan (over eksploitasi). “Balobe hanya untuk makan sehari-hari saja” ujar Jonathan Wega. Namun, jika terdapat kelebihan hasil tangkapan maka akan dijual untuk menambah perekonomian keluarga. Ditambahkannya, masyarakat kampung Wamesa hanya menikam ikan pada awalnya, akan tetapi dengan adanya permintaan pasar untuk hasil perikanan bernilai ekonomi tinggi seperti teripang dan lobster, maka masyarakat turut serta menambahkan hewan-hewan tersebut dalam daftar buruannya.

 

Bameti

Masyarakat Papua pesisir memiliki tradisi turun ke pantai untuk Bameti. Bameti adalah kegiatan memungut kerang-kerangan (gleaning shellfish)  dan udang saat air laut surut “meti” dan pada saat bulan gelap. Bameti merupakan tradisi kuno perikanan tangkap yang hanya menggunakan tangkapan tangan (hand capture) yang masih dipraktekkan hingga waktu sekarang ini. Tradisi yang hadir dalam beradaptasi dengan karakteristik wilayah Papua pesisir yang memiliki kontur batimetri yang datar menjorok ke laut, awalnya  dilakukan ketika masyarakat belum mengenal alat tangkap ikan.

Bameti masih menjadi andalan masyarakat pesisir Papua, seperti yang dilakukan masyarakat Kaimana. Tradisi ini tidak membutuhkan keahlian khusus, serta peralatan penangkapan. Hanya butuh pengeruk atau benda pencungkil untuk hasil tangkapan kerang-kerangan, serta keret dan helai lidi pohon kelapa untuk hasil tangkapan udang dan lobster. Caranya cukup mudah, pasang karet pada ujung sapu lidi, dengan teknik menarik dan menembak diarahkan kepada hewan buruan, yaitu udang dan lobster. Biasanya Bameti hanya dilakukan masyarakat Papua untuk memenuhi kehidupan sehari-hari, atau dalam artian bukan mata pencaharian utama seperti nelayan yang keseluruhan hidupnya tergantung pada hasil laut. Bameti lebih pada aktivitas bersama keluarga di waktu luang, serta waktu berkumpul masyarakat kampung di lokasi yang sama. Terkadang, Bameti dilakukan masyarakat Papua untuk bersantai bersama keluarga besar dalam Marga yang sama, dimana hasil tangkapan akan dimasak, serta dikonsumsi di pinggir pantai.

Bameti 1

Alat Tangkap Kalawai

 

Kearifan Lokal dalam Pemanfaatan Sumberdaya Ikan

Kesadaran masyarakat untuk hidup selaras dengan alam sebenarnya sudah biasa dipraktekkan dari leluhur mereka. Perikanan non komersial atau perikanan subsisten merupakan wujud pengaturan dan perlindungan nyata prilaku hidup mereka. Bameti dan Balobe adalah tradisi yang mencerminkan prilaku ramah lingkungan sebagai bentuk budaya masyarakat pesisir Papua. Tidak banyak hasil tangkapan dari kedua metode ini, karena hanya dipakai untuk memenuhi kebutuhan rumah tangga masyarakat adat suku-suku di Kaimana.

Bameti dan Balobe adalah prilaku konservasionis  produk tempo dahulu, yang rmerupakan perwujudan kearifan lokal. Potret pengetahuan budaya (cultural knowledge) dalam kehidupan sehari-hari massyarakat pesisir Papua dalam pengelolaan dan pemanfaatan sumberdaya alam ini, nyatanya berdampak sangat signifikan terhadap ketersediaan pangan. Cultural knowledge dipergunakan dalam memahami lingkungan, serta mendorong terbentuknya prilaku budaya yang selaras, seimbang, bersinergi dengan alam.

Dalam Bameti dan Balobe, berlaku aturan tidak tertulis berupa ambil “manfaatkan” seperlunya dan secukupnya saja. Tindakan ini memastikan ketersediaan sumberdaya berkelanjutan bagi generasi penerus. Praktek Bameti dan Balobe merupakan bukti bagaimana masyarakat lokal memanfaatkan sumberdaya mereka dengan peralatan sederhana bahkan tradisional. Sehingga dapat dikatakan contoh pemanfaatan secara arif dan bijaksana yang tercermin dalam budaya kearifan lokal dalam sumberdaya ikan di Kaimana.

Foto 2

Teripang, Hasil Tangkapan Balobe dan Bameti

11539074_10200578912790765_8685446916955644172_o

Kerang-kerangan, hasil dari Bameti

 

Pariwisata berbasiskan Kearifan Lokal Masyarakat Pesisir

Sektor pariwisata masih dalam  proses perkembangan di Kabupaten pemekaran tahun 2003 ini. Hal ini dapat dilihat dari pembenahan yang menunjang kenyaman wisatawan, seperti hotel, dan transportasi. Kaimana yang terletak di Selatan Pulau Papua, yang berhadapan langsung dengan Laut Aru ini, belum begitu banyak dikunjungi wisatawan. Tentu saja, transportasi yang cukup mahal menjadi salah satu alasannya. Untuk menuju Kaimana, penerbangan menggunakan pesawat ATR milik maskapai Wings merupakan satu-satunya yang mendarat untuk melayani jalur lintas Papua dan Maluku. Sisanya, hanya terdapat kapal Pelni yang berlabuh setiap dua minggu sekali.

Dalam kurun waktu lima tahun, sebahagian besar wisatawan yang berkunjung berasal dari luar negeri. Tujuan mereka lebih menfokuskan diri pada wisata menyelam di Teluk Triton, Selat Iris, dan Selat Bicari. Maklum saja, ketiga lokasi tersebut, terkenal dengan keindahan alam bawah airnya yang menakjubkan sehingga para peneliti kelautan dunia menjulukinnya sebagai “Kingdom of Fishes”.

Wajah pariwisata Kaimana perlahan-lahan berubah dalam kurun waktu dua tahun terakhir. Awalnya menggantungkan diri dari sektor keindahan alam bawah air, perlahan bangkit menunjukan jati diri masyarakat adat melalui budaya, salah satunya adalah atraksi kearifan lokal. Wisatawan asing yang tertarik akan budaya masyarakat pesisir Papua, berkeinginan masuk dan mempelajari bagaimana masyarakat lokal memanfaatkan sumberdaya alamnya. Dalam perjalanan ke Teluk Triton, saya bertemu dengan Mark (45 tahun) wisatawan yang berasal dari Inggris. Menurut Mark, aktivitas masyarakat pesisir Papua sangat menarik. Cara masyarakat lokal menghormatin dan menghargai alam itu sangat luar biasa. Mark yang berprofesi sebagai Konsultant Energi ini menambahkan, begitu tertarik untuk membaur dengan mama-mama Papua Bameti di sepanjang bibir pantai, yang kemudian mengolah hasil untuk dimakan bersama. Merasakan atmosfir lokal itu sesuatu yang beliau tidak bayangkan sebelumnya. “Ini merupakan tradisi masa lampau yang masih dipertahankan” ujar beliau menutup perbincangan kami sore ini.

Lain lagi dengan Jeny (30 tahun), wisatawan yang berasal dari Amerika tersebut begitu antusias ketika diajak untuk Balobe. “Saya sangat penasaran untuk melihat masyarakat lokal menangkap ikan di malam hari”, kata wanita yang berasal dari  Florida ini. Saya bertemu Jeny di pasar tradisional Kaimana, ketika ia berbincang dengan warga Kampung Wamesa. Kemudian, perbincangan kami berlanjut mengenai budaya masyarakat pesisir Kaimana dalam memanfaatkan sumberdaya alam, yang diakhiri ajakan dari Ledrik Sawy untuk berkunjung, serta ikut serta dengan beliau Balobe.

Menurut Jeny, turut serta Balobe bersama masyarakat lokal menjadi destinasi wisata unik. Belajar bagaimana masyarakat memperlakukan laut dengan tetap memperhatikan keberlanjutannya, sangat sarat dengan nilai-nilai konservasi yang banyak digaungkan konservasionis saat sekarang ini. Tidak semua orang dapat merasakan dan melihat bagaimana masyarakat lokal memperlakukan alam dengan bijaksana. Dengan adanya keterlibatan wisatawan dalam budaya kearifan lokal, tentu memberikan pandangan baru, bahkan ide-ide segar buat pengunjungnya dalam menghargai alam. Ini bukan tentang bagaimana cara pandang luar untuk melihat lebih dalam budaya masyarakat pesisir, namun lebih kepada bagaimana kita menyadari kita membutuhkan alam untuk hidup dan berkembang. Menutup perjalanan saya di awal tahun 2016 di Selatan Pulau Papua, saya menyadari bahwa “Manusia menjaga, alampun memberi”.

Venu Island, home of the “Ambassador” of Kaimana’s Seas

by in Article, Biodiversity, Conservation, Culture, Environment, Essay, Marine and Coastal, Writing and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
Seekor induk Penyu Lekang menutup sarang setelah mengeluarkan hampir130 butir telur di Pulau Venu copy

Seekor induk Penyu Lekang menutup sarang setelah mengeluarkan hampir130 butir telur di Pulau Venu

Nesting beach protection

The waves hit the shore, accompanied by strong winds sweeping the small white sand island, only about ​​three football fields in size, southwest of Kaimana, Triton Bay’s gateway city. The village community has named this place Venu Island. Venu means “eggs” in the local Koiway language, and the name represents the eggs laid by hundreds of turtles that nest along the island’s sandy beach. To reach Venu from Kaimana requires a two to three hour journey in a speedboat. Shaped like a bracelet, with a saltwater pool in the middle, Venu is home to many exotic bird species, but the main attraction for conservationists and tourists is turtles.

Venu Island is relatively flat, only about 7 meters above sea level at its highest point, so its entire perimeter and even the inner island are ideal locations for turtles to nest and lay eggs. Three main species of sea turtles nest on Venu: green turtles (Chelonia mydas), hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricate) and olive or pacific ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea).

Conservation International (CI) in collaboration with the Center KSDA West Papua, through the Region IV Section KSDA Kaimana, and local indigenous communities conduct monitoring activities on Venu Island. CI initiated the formation of patrol teams to protect against threats, both natural (abrasion, predators) and non-natural (human). Patrol teams will take action against the violators who perform acts that threaten the survival of sea turtles. Data collection activities, team building supervision along with turtle nesting area patrols began in February 2011.

Monitoring and documentation includes determination of which species are nesting, the time (date and hour) of nest building, the predominant location of nests, the size of the nesting turtles, and frequency and the number of eggs produced. Monitoring is preformed every evening at 19.00 and lasts until 23.00.

Tukik penyu sisik yang baru menetas dari sarang 2397
Tete Irisa, mengumpulkan tukik di wadah sebelum dilepas ke lautan pada malam hari

 

Tete Irisa, Keeping Turtles from Extinction

As usual, every night Irisa Sawoka (60 years old) patrols the island to detect traces of turtles that have climbed to the beach to lay their eggs. Assisted by Yohan (40 years old), CI’s staff monitors the beaches trying to use as little artificial light as possible in order not to disturb the nesting turtles. Tete Irisa pioneered nest protection on Venu Island. Despite the fact that he had experience with protecting turtles, his enthusiasm for the project was not dampened. “Eran Jelepi (green turtles) come up most frequently and lay eggs in any season,” he said while digging a hole to move the turtle eggs to a secure location in front of the checkpoint. Other species are seen in October, a prime nest-building month.

At night, after the turtles are identified, the nests are numbered. The goal is to determine the number of turtles that nest and lay eggs on Venu’s beaches. In the morning, the men, armed with a large bucket, transfer eggs from the nests to a protected area. According to Tete Irisa, removing the eggs prevents predators from opening the nests and increases the likelihood of the hatchlings’ survival. Care is taken to move the eggs swiftly in order not to harm the embryos.

Turtle eggs will hatch and the baby turtles will return to the sea in about 30 to 40 days. “Watching the eggs hatch is a unique experience,” said the Kaimana native. Hatchlings know instinctively not to go down to the beach when it is still light. They often peek from the nest but wait for nightfall to scamper to the ocean. We release our hatchlings around 19:00 to avoid the brunt of predators on land and in the ocean. Just imagine, an average nest produces 180 to 200 eggs, but perhaps only two survive to return to Venu and lay their own eggs! Another good reason for protecting this island and the turtles that come here.”

 

Tukik memulai pengembaraannya di lautan

Tukik, memulai pengembaraannya di lautan

 

Tukik penyu sisik yang baru menetas, ditampung sebelum dilepaskan ke lautan
Tete Irisa, si penyelamat Penyu dari Pulau Venu

Turtles, Their history and Future

Because of the lack of protected turtle nesting beaches, many nesting areas in Indonesia have been exploited to the point where no turtles return to lay eggs. Looting eggs from nests and hunting turtles for their meat has decimated both Indonesia’s and the world’s sea turtle population. According Tete Irisa, the main looters around Venu did not come from Kaimana or its surroundings, but arrived from distant islands where the turtles already had been wiped out.

Around Kaimana, the numbers of turtles nesting on Venu and other islands nearby begin to shrink. Protection has not been easy. Limited means and knowledge about conservation methods are major obstacles. Initiatives between CI and BKSDA to protect turtle nesting beaches now have the support of the local communities and landowners. Based on CI’s data from 2011 through 2013, turtle nestings have increased to about 2,477 individuals. This positive result is due to the cooperation between all stakeholders who are striving to save Kaimana’s ambassador of the seas.

http://birdsheadseascape.com/conservation-science/venu-island-home-of-the-ambassador-of-kaimanas-seas-by-nita-johana/

Newly Discovered Whale Shark Population Brings Tourism Potential to Indonesian Communities

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Author : Nita Yohana, Published : http://www.conservation.org

http://blog.conservation.org/2014/08/newly-discovered-whale-shark-population-brings-tourism-potential-to-indonesian-communities/#more-20789

whale shark under fishing platform, Indonesia

Whale shark under bagan (fishing platform) in Indonesia. (© Burt Jones and Maurine Shimlock)

In late 2011, CI’s Mark Erdmann blogged about an exciting expedition tagging whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay off the northern coast of West Papua, Indonesia. The trip was conducted in collaboration with WWF-Indonesia, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and the Cenderawasih National Park Authority. Data received from the tags exposed the migratory behavior of these mysterious creatures along Indonesia’s coasts.

In Kaimana, on West Papua’s southern coast, the recent discovery of another whale shark population has triggered similar research, providing us with vital information backing the development of critical regulations to protect these species and support a burgeoning whale shark tourism industry that is both sustainable and benefits local communities.

Gentle Giants

Whale sharks are the largest living fish species, growing up to 18 meters (60 feet) and weighing 20 tons, yet they are known for being among the most gentle of the shark species. With enormous mouths that can be up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) wide, these filter feeders’ diet predominantly consists of plankton and small fish like anchovies.

Fishermen on Papua’s coast have long been aware of the existence of these animals. In fact, the sharks frequently approach the bagan (fishing platforms) where the fishers pull up nets of baitfish, hanging around for an easy meal or sometimes sucking fish from holes in the nets

Many fishermen consider the sharks to be good luck. And with an influx of tourists pouring into communities to see the sharks’ feeding activity in person, protecting whale shark populations will be the smartest economic choice for these communities.

Whale shark tourism has been thriving in Cenderawasih Bay since 2010. Yet in Kaimana, the region’s tourism potential is only beginning to be realized.

Kaimana is located in West Papua’s Bird’s Head Seascape, recognized as the global epicenter of marine biodiversity. Since 2011, domestic and foreign tourists in Kaimana have increased, yet the region still lacks infrastructure that could make it a more accessible and popular destination.

While encouraging tourism, it’s also critical to protect the whale sharks from negative impacts resulting from human interaction. The more we know about the behavior of whale sharks, the better we can help local communities value and protect them.

The Research

Up to this point, our understanding of the life cycle of whale sharks remains limited. We know that whale sharks are normally solitary and frequently spend a fair proportion of their time in depths below 100 meters (328 feet).

We also know that they are able to migrate great distances to take advantage of seasonally abundant food sources, around which they tend to briefly gather in large numbers to feed before dispersing again). Most of the sharks observed in these aggregations are young males in the 4-8 meter (13-26 foot) size range — but we don’t know much else. This is why we are conducting this research in Kaimana.

Since December 2013, CI has photo identified 11, satellite tagged four and genetically sampled six whale sharks in Kaimana. The satellite tags record depth, temperature, and light level data (used to estimate location) of the shark’s diving behavior over a certain period of time. The time frame of deployment of these tags varies; some have been programmed to pop off the shark after three months, while other stay on for six.

Every whale shark has a unique spotting pattern on the body, similar to a human’s fingerprint. By taking photo IDs of each individual (the left side of the animal between the gills and the dorsal fin), we hope to learn whether any of the sharks observed in Kaimana are the same ones seen in Cenderawasih Bay.

fisherman feeding whale shark, Indonesia

Fishermen feeding whale shark off of bagan fishing platform. (© Conservation International/photo by Nita Yohana)

please open the link to more information.

Thanks

 

Local Wisdom for Conservation

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Kaimana, which is located in the southern region of bird's head, West Papua. Dealing directly with the Arafura Sea, which has a high biodiversity

Kaimana, which is located in the southern region of bird’s head, West Papua. Dealing directly with the Arafura Sea, which has a high biodiversity

 

Local Wisdom

Customs and traditions attached to the life of the Indonesian nation. The cultural approach through local knowledge is an attempt to involve the local community, especially in the conservation and preservation of natural resources. Based on this, the zoning system built in Kaimana based indigenous peoples.

In the arrangement or division, Zoning system of conservation areas in Kaimana, following the Customs and traditions in the community.

Indigenous is a recognized custom, which obeyed and institutionalized , and maintained by the local indigenous people for generations.   While local knowledge is the great value that still exists in the system of people’s lives.

Kaimana- the first Region who use conservation areas based  Indigenous community, which aims to maintain the culture in order to live in harmony with nature, and respect for tradition in the territorial waters of Kaimana.

 

 

community- understand to keep the ocean waters

community- understand to keep the ocean waters

 

Sasi

“Sasi and conservation  have the same meaning”.

Kaimana community has long been applying local knowledge in the use of marine resources, such as Sasi and Sasi Nggama Meti.  Actually, conservation also almost the same like  Sasi, which in its application conservation areas divide the area / zone waters by function and purpose. While Sasi, limiting space and time, as well as the resources utilized.

Conservation  not come to prohibit exploit marine resources such as prohibiting fishing. But, arranged for each region / zone can be put to good use for the purpose of survival of the community.

If in local knowledge, closing an area that should not be exploited known as Sasi Permanent, whereas in Conservation areas known as the  Savings Fish Areas or Food Security.

So, Sasi and Conservation areas  it is the SAME meaning,  just different name . The point is to make arrangements marine areas.