Community-based marine ecotourism: Indonesia Sea Conservation’s

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“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Being surrounded by Pacific oceans and Indian Oceans, Indonesia’s marine is has 5.6

million km2 in its wide with 81.000 km of coastal line.1 It has a lot of potential, especially

in its seas fishery and coral reefs

Unfortunately, Indonesia seas are in danger. Just like another third world country, seas

conservation seems not becoming government’s priority yet. Even though Indonesia

already has several law that regulate sea conservation but the implementation are far from

the expectation.

In status quo, at least 340.000 ton of tailing is being thrown by 2 biggest foreign

companies and contaminates the seas in Papua and West Nusa Tenggara per day. Not

only that. Indonesia’s marine also contaminated by 80 million liters of ship’s lubricating

oil per year.2

Civilians also take part in sea ecosystem destruction. In fisheries sector, many of

traditional fishermen doing illegal fishing by using bomb, poison (nickel, tin, pesticide,

mercury) and other dangerous sea tools. In waste issue, since the end of the World War

II, it’s approximated that 80% of plastic wastes are accumulated in sea as solid waste that

imbalance the sea ecosystem.(Indonesia Marine Institute,2011)

Why Sea conservation awareness is lacking in Indonesia?

Economy is still becoming the main reason of the indifference. Government still believes

that seas conservation is much less lucrative that industry sector, that’s why they let

factories throw its waste to the seas carelessly.

Besides that, most of the local people in the coastal area are living in the poverty line.

Because it still hard for them to fulfill the basic need, the awareness of sea importance

becoming their least priorities.

To solve this problem, we have to find a way so that economy and environment could

walk hand in hand in creating a sustainable environment. Marine ecotourism can be one

of the best solutions

Community-based marine ecotourism

The Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “a responsible travel to natural areas

which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people”(Western,

1993)

From economy perspective, Marine ecotourism is a lucrative market. According to UN

report, 80% of the global tourism happens within a 60 km radius of coastal areas and

employing more than 10% of the global work force.

In order to give the local community the sense of seas belonging, marine ecotourism

should be made based on community, so it can give direct economic benefit towards local

people.

Community-based marine ecotourism should implicate those concepts3:

1. Society should create a team to manage ecotourism activities in their territories

2. Local ownership of ecotourism facilities principle should be implemented as much as

possible

3. Tourist Guide should come from local people, to embrace community involvement

value

4. All of the process of establishment, management, conservation and cost finding

should becoming society’s responsibility

In Indonesia, ecotourism activities have been starting since 1993. Despite of its potential,

actually the development of Indonesia’s ecotourism is still lacking compared to another

country. Tourism sector still only supporting 5% of Indonesia’s GDP4, compared with

another topic country like Brazil (7.8%) 5 and Costa Rica (67%).6 That shows fact that

ecotourism’s current system is not enough to empower local people.

Indonesia still needs to develop its ecotourism potential to be as lucrative as possible, so

that people in coastal area can realize the importance of the seas conservation

In order to attract tourists from any countries, Indonesia should improve their coastal

area’s facility and accesbility7. Government should empower local people to improve

their business. For example, government can give business loan for local businessman in

coastal area, this loan can help their business to develop and attract more tourists.

Government also needs to implement a unique marketing strategy in international level.

A potential market is the USA, where 43 million people are ready for ecotours

(Sudarto,1999)

In 1993 US$950 billion was earned from tourism in the Pacific-Asia region alone and

10% of that came from ecotourism activities. Since Indonesia is so rich in biodiversity

and culture it is safe to assume that this country could get 10% of this amount. If this

were to happen Indonesia would get US$950 million from the ecotourism sub-sector

That should be enough incentive for government to prioritize the sea conservation law

and for the local people to realize the philosophy of sustainable development

Reference

1.  www.dkp.go.id

2. http://cintailautindonesia.blogspot.com/2009/07/laut-dapat-menyerap-karbon-dioksida-   

co2.html

3. WWF Indonesia, (2009), Prinsip dan Kriteria Ekowisata Berbasis Masyarakat

4.  Minister of Culture and Tourism: Statistics 2006,

5. Research released by David Scowsill, President & CEO, World Travel & Tourism

Council (WTTC) at Fórum Panrotas,

6. http://www.state.gov/p/wha/ci/cs/

7. Amanda, Meita,(2009), Analisis Dampak Ekonomi Wisata Bahari Terhadap Pendapatan

Masyarakat Lokal Studi Kasus Pantai Bandulu Kabupaten Serang Provinsi Banten

8. http://www.apo-toyko.org/gp/e_publi/gplinkeco/12chapter10.pdf