A guide for planners and managers - IUCN

PART III
Case Histories of Marine Protected Areas
an adequate link between community development and a corresponding commitment
to park conservation. CCAs are taken a step further with the participatory zoning system
described above. Traditional use zones covering reef flats are strengthened by
community-based zoning plans. This ensures local responsibility in the conservation
management of these important areas. In both cases, National Park management
provides local communities with management and exclusive use rights (a major
incentive) in exchange for a commitment to support conservation of the park’s
resources. The existence of the National Park provides the legal basis for the
management authority to provide these management rights, which under existing law
in Indonesia is not possible outside protected areas.
The resultant zoning plan for the park appears spatially more complex than the
original zoning plan proposed in 1983 (see Case History 19). It has more, smaller zones,
but by developing the zoning in conjunction with users, outreach and enforcement
costs are much reduced, as users have already “bought into” the plan (Box 3).
However, the need for active and adaptive management remains, as demonstrated
by several recent developments. First, the rapid spread of seaweed farming in recent
years within the park has led to dramatic changes in resource use patterns by local
communities and local economic development. Positive effects have been the reduction
of the fishing pressure on the reefs in the park, as fishermen have switched to farming
seaweed due to a rise in international seaweed prices. However, negative effects
include the excessive pressure on mangroves in and around the park, due to a growing
demand for housing, seaweed drying floors, seaweed planting stakes and fuelwood,
and the spread of farms from lagoons to more fragile habitats such as reef flats with
live coral cover. In light of Indonesia’s current economic crisis, it is essential for the
park to accommodate economic development aspirations of local communities in order
to ensure their support for broader conservation objectives. Therefore park staff are
trying to reduce negative impacts while supporting positive ones. Park staff are
working with growers and buyers to both discourage the use of mangrove wood in
seaweed cultivation while providing alternative resources to offset further mangrove
habitat damage.
A second development is the appearance of major new tourism operators, who
were not involved in the initial planning process and must be incorporated into the
management process. A third one is the economic crisis within Indonesia which has
drastically reduced government conservation spending, and has lead to greater
numbers of infractions by outsiders using destructive fishing practices. Fourth, the
rapid political developments within the country and the move to decentralization may
affect the legal status of the park. These factors mean that the current park management
team has to remain active in public awareness, and play a role of facilitator in finetuning
the zoning pattern to reflect potential changes in use patterns. The success or
failure of the park will be determined by the level of compliance with the zoning, which
itself will be the indicator of the success of the participatory planning and management
system used for the park.
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