Case Studies Undp: Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board, Indonesia

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Empowered lives. Resilient nations. Indonesia Equator Initiative Case Studies BUNAKEN NATIONAL PARK MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD Local sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that work for people and for nature. Few publications or case studies tell the full story of how such initiatives evolve, the breadth of their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practitioners themselves guiding the narrative. To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to fill this gap. The following case study is one in a growing series that details the work of Equator Prize winners – vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmental conservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local success to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models for replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reference to ‘The Power of Local Action: Lessons from 10 Years of the Equator Prize’, a compendium of lessons learned and policy guidance that draws from the case material. Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiative’s searchable case study database. Editors Editor-in-Chief: Managing Editor: Contributing Editors: Joseph Corcoran Oliver Hughes Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding Contributing Writers Edayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Toni Blackman, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Larissa Currado, Sarah Gordon, Oliver Hughes, Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Patrick Lee, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma, Mary McGraw, Gabriele Orlandi, Brandon Payne, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding, Luna Wu Design Oliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Lorena de la Parra, Brandon Payne, Mariajosé Satizábal G. Acknowledgements The Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude the Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board, and in particular the guidance and inputs of Jefri Jepas, Angelique Batuna, and Alwin Rondonuwu. All photo credits courtesy of Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board. Maps courtesy of CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia. Suggested Citation United Nations Development Programme. 2012. Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board, Indonesia. Equator Initiative Case Study Series. New York, NY. Indonesia BUNAKEN NATIONAL PARK MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD KEY FACTS EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2004 FOUNDED: 2000 LOCATION: North Sulawesi, Indonesia BENEFICIARIES: 22 villages inside Bunaken National Park BIODIVERSITY: Bunaken National Park PROJECT SUMMARY Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board is a landmark case for local co-management of a marine protected area in Indonesia. The initiative brings together government agencies, international partners, and local communities in the collaborative management of the Bunaken National Park in North Sulawesi. The park comprises more than 8,000 hectares of coral reef, extensive seagrass beds, and vast mangrove forests, as well as around twenty-two dictinct villages. The 30,000 residents of these coastal and island communities are represented on the management board by the Bunaken Concerned Citizen’s Forum (Forum Masyarakat Peduli TN Bunaken). In partnership with the Indonesian Department of Nature Conservation, the board has designed a practical and efficient user fee system that generates revenues for the protected area and its residents, funding a joint patrol system as well as a number of community development projects. TABLE OF CONTENTS Background and Context Key Activities and Innovations Biodiversity Impacts Socioeconomic Impacts Policy Impacts Sustainability Replication Partners 4 6 8 9 10 11 11 11 3 Background and Context Bunaken National Park (BNP) is located in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Located near the centre of the Coral Triangle, the park is a globally important conservation area with a wide range of coastal and marine ecosystems that provide habitat to 390 species of coral as well as many fish, mollusc, reptile and marine mammal species. Covering a total area of 79,056 hectares, the park is comprised of a northern and southern section: the north consisting of five islands and a coastal area between Molas and Tiwoho (the Molas-Wori Coast), and the south consisting of the coastal area between Poopoh and Popareng villages (the Arakan-Wawontulap Coast). Local population pressures Unlike many marine protected areas, BNP is located close to a large urban centre, namely Manado, with its population of over 400,000 residents. This proximity has presented the local population with opportunities in the form of steady tourist interest. The park also has a unique bathymetry that has attracted scuba divers the world over. The absence of a continental shelf means the coastline drops directly down to the continental slope, providing divers with a unique glimpse at rarely seen marine biodiversity and spectacular underwater geological structures. This same proximity to Manado, however, has presented challenges in the form of effective patrolling, spillover pollution, and unsustainable demand for mangrove and marine resources. The national park itself is home to over 30,000 residents, the majority of whom depend on natural resources for their livelihoods and subsistence needs. Settlement of the region dates back more than five generations, long before the park was formally established two decades ago. Twenty-two villages are spread across the five islands, with eleven villages on the coastline. The vast majority of the local population makes their living through farming, fishing, or a combination of the two. Farmers raise crops such as coconuts, sweet potatoes and bananas. Those in the fishing sector harvest a wide variety of fish or cultivate seaweed for export to foreign markets. 4 A less significant number are employed by the tourism industry as dive guides, boat operators and eco-lodge staff. A tension exists, however, between the livelihood needs of this growing population and the needs of the marine ecosystems. A unique marine sanctuary Bunaken National Park contains over 8,000 hectares of coral reef, extensive seagrass beds, and vast mangrove forests (in the latter case, particularly in the Arakan-Wawontulap area). The seagrass beds are found in calm, shallow areas between the shore and coral reefs. Seagrass beds are important habitats for sand-dwelling marine species (e.g. sea snails, sea cucumbers, eels and shrimp), nurseries for juvenile reef fish such as black-tip sharks and wrasses, and feeding grounds for dugongs and green sea turtles. The coral reefs beyond the seagrass beds house a rich diversity of species of fish, turtles, sea snakes, and invertebrates. The main type of reef in the park is fringing reef, which grows along the edge of the shoreline, but patch reefs and barriers reefs are also common. The waters of the park contain more than 2,000 species of fish, several hundred species of hard coral, and over 30 species of mangroves. On land, the only remaining forest in the park is found on the high slopes of Manado Tua Island, where a small endemic population of the critically endangered crested black macaques reside. A response rooted in local participation In response to all of these challenges, to increasing demand from a number of stakeholders for more fair and equitable management of the park, and to growing momentum from Indonesia’s decentralization and reform process, the Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board (BNPMAB) was established in 2000. BNPMAB is a partnership of government, community, private sector, and non-governmental representatives. Pivotal in its creation and to its ongoing implementation is the Bunaken Concerned Citizen’s Forum (Forum Masyarakat Peduli TN Bunaken - FMPTNB), which represents all 30,000 villagers living in the park. The advisory board has undertaken the ushering in of a new era of co-management of Bunaken National Park that includes local communities and ecotourism operators in resource management and park enforcement. Specifically, BNPMAB was created to: coordinate the activities and policies of relevant government agencies with the park management authority; raise funds for conservation programs within the park (mainly through an entrance fee system); communicate its conservation program to a wide range of stakeholders; carry out participatory zoning; and coordinate joint patrols by local villagers, water police, and park rangers. BNPMAB serves as a forum to facilitate dialogue between stakeholders and make policy recommendations. The board aims to be responsive to the issues raised by park users and local communities. It also plays an active role in publicizing and disseminating lessons learned from the co-management arrangement to other marine protected areas in Indonesia and beyond. Central to the roll-out of the initiative was participatory zonation of the park, in which it was divided into nature recovery zones (comprising core, recovery and rehabilitation), utilization zones (limited and intensive), and support zones (water, land and public). Zones were demarcated based on their respective economic and conservation potential as well as constraints and opportunity for successful management. The zones were also developed through a participatory planning process which not only included but prioritized the needs and input of local communities. The board has been remarkably successful in eradicating destructive fishing, coral extraction, and mangrove deforestation while simultaneously safeguarding the natural resource base that sustains local livelihoods and incomes. One of the organization’s primary innovations was its entrance fee system, launched in 2002, which, until 2008, generated an average of USD 110,000 per year. Revenues have both improved local incomes and provided a funding base from which to finance conservation activities. Creation of Bunaken National Park; initial problems Bunaken National Park was established to protect and conserve the high diversity of terrestrial and marine life within its unique coastal ecosystems, to protect the migration paths and feeding grounds of endemic marine species such as whales, dolphins, dugongs, and sea turtles, and to balance conservation activities with the economic needs of the local population. The park was established in 1991, under the authority of the Indonesian Department of Nature Conservation in the Ministry of Forestry. The park had a management office with a staff of approximately 40 (including the park head, park rangers and administrative staff ). As a national park, it received an annual operating budget averaging USD 100,000 per year – enough to pay for salaries, office operational costs and at most one waterborne patrol per month. Under this largely “top-down” management regime, the park suffered a slow but continuous degradation throughout the 1990s. A number of challenges plagued the park from early on in its development. Primary among these were a range of serious and persistent environmental threats, including blast fishing, cyanide fishing, overfishing, coral mining, mangrove deforestation, forest clearing for agriculture, high-impact tourism, coastal development projects, as well as short-sighted and ill-conceived solid waste management systems. Mangrove loss was particularly intractable. Mangroves are traditionally used by the local population for building material, firewood, food and medicine. While mangroves can of course be harvested sustainably, deforestation was being driven by livelihood insecurity as well as a growing commercial market in Manado for mangrove products. Mangrove loss was translating to soil erosion, the invasion of pests and weeds, and a lack of protection for juvenile fish, mollusks and shrimp. Other underlying challenges early in the park’s management included overlapping legal and jurisdictional authorities due to a lack of coordination among government agencies and authorities in the park, a lack of consultation with and engagement of both local communities and private sector partners, conflicts between the latter stakeholders on appropriate benefit sharing arrangements, declining levels of conservation funding, unclear and often contradictory zoning systems, and, importantly, ineffective enforcement systems for park rules and regulations. “The advisory board has undertaken the ushering in of a new era of co-management of Bunaken National Park that includes local communities and ecotourism operators in resource management and park enforcement.” 5 Key Activities and Innovations The Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board has a vision of the sustainable management of the park in a manner that also benefits local communities. The stated objectives of BNPMAB focused on the need to raise conservation financing necessary for sustaining the marine protected area; raising awareness of this among the various park stakeholders; coordinating efforts of the various government agencies with the park management authority; and sharing the experiences of Bunaken management with other marine protected areas in the region. Participatory zonation exercise One of the first activities overseen by the advisory body was the participatory zonation of the park. This would underpin many of the conservation and development activities that have undertaken since 2000. Nature conservation zones: Three nature conservation zones were demarcated throughout the park – core, recovery and rehabilitation zones. Core zones are for the absolute and unequivocal protection of an area or ecosystem. Examples in the park include the high slopes of Manado Tua where crested black macaques dwell in natural forests; the old growth mangrove stands in Arakan-Wowontulap; and the integrated mangrove, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems in Bunaken and other islands. No human activity is permitted, with the exception of research, biological monitoring and environmental education. ‘Intentional’ violations of core zone rules carry a stiff penalty of a maximum 10-year jail term and fine of Rp. 200 million (over USD 20,000), while ‘unintentional’ violations are punishable by a maximum jail term of one year and a fine of Rp. 100 million (USD 10,000). Recovery zones are for areas that require time to recover from past damage, such as deforestation, overfishing, and coral blasting. Human activity is again limited to environmental education and research. Lastly, rehabilitation zones, while quite similar to the latter, are sites that require restoration from past damage where active replanting and reseeding of native plant species is taking place. 6 Utilization zones: Utilization zones, which have been divided into limited and intensive use, have been created with tourism and transportation services in mind. Limited use zones accommodate tourist activities that do not alter or impact the environment such as nature walks, diving, and snorkeling. Intensive use zones on the other hand are used for a broader range of tourism activities that require development, such as upgrading accommodations, restaurants, shops, jetties and other infrastructure. This zonation is currently limited to Liang Beach and Pangalisang Beach on Bunaken Island. As with the nature conservation zones, penalties are doled out to different degrees of severity depending on whether the violation was intentional or unintentional. Support zones: Support zones – water, land and public – pertain to traditional livelihoods and natural resource use by local communities. Water support zones allow local communities to undertake traditional marine resource management activities, including traditional fishing, regulated mangrove harvesting, and seaweed harvesting. The clearing of mangrove forests for conversion into fishing ponds and destructive fishing practices such as blast fishing are expressly prohibited. Land support zones allow for housing, community development and infrastructure projects, agriculture (with controlled use of pesticides, herbicides and commercial fertilizers), and the limited exploitation of forest products. Lastly, public support zones allow for small to medium sized pelagic fishing as well as transportation, with the exception of inter-island passenger ships. regents, and the house of representatives of North Sulawesi. The majority of the organization’s energy, however, is focused on management of the park entrance fee system and ensuring the wide coverage and efficiency of patrols conducted by park ranger, marine police and local communities. The collaborative park entrance fee system was introduced thanks to the introduction of ground-breaking provincial laws and subsequent agreement with the Indonesian Department of Nature Conservation. The fee system was developed based on an accurate feasibility assessment of the willingness of visitors to pay to access a unique ecosystem, particularly if profits were earmarked for conservation efforts. It is a practical and efficient system that does not inconvenience visitors, dive operators or patrol teams, as it is a one-time fee. Roughly 80 percent of entrance fee revenues are allocated to BNPMAB for conservation programs, while the remaining 20 percent is distributed equally to the local government authorities in North Sulawesi, and to Minahasa district, Manado city and Jakarta. Entrance fees have helped to finance the joint patrol system which can be credited with decreases in a number of environmentally damaging fishing practices. Patrols employ over 30 villagers from across the park, where they are ‘teamed up’ with marine police and park rangers. Revenues from entrance fees are also allocated through the village conservation fund to village development projects in clean water access, roads and transportation, school construction, mangrove restoration projects, and a diverse portfolio of conservation activities. Park management and financing conservation With these zones in place, BNPMAB has focused on a diverse range of management activities. Institutional strengthening has helped to engage a wider range of stakeholders in the park’s decisionmaking processes, including local government and law enforcement authorities. The engagement of local communities has entailed developing information systems, communications and outreach efforts, including publicly displaying information about park management in local villages and maintaining an extensive radio broadcast system. Community development programs are planned and implemented using a village conservation fund; infrastructure and facilities have also been developed for ecotourism, in accordance with principles of proper ecological stewardship. This has incorporated the creation of effective waste management systems. In carrying out these activities, the board has also served a role in conflict resolution between the park’s stakeholders, communicated the interests of local communities to relevant authorities, and provided reporting to the central government, governors, mayors, “Environmental conservation cannot be achieved by one group of people alone. It requires commitment across sectors and a fundamental shift in how we as a people and a country view our natural heritage.” Alwin Rondonuwu, Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board 7 Impacts BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS Bunaken National Park is covered with mangrove forests, which are concentrated in Mantegahe, the Molas-Wori coastal area, and in the Arakan-Wawontulap coastal area. There are 29 species of mangrove in the park, the dominant species being Rhizophora sp, Avicennia sp, and Sonneratia sp. In addition to mangrove forests, beach forests can be found growing from fossil coral outcroppings on shorelines, or behind the mangroves on nearly all of the islands. Common trees include bitung (Barringtonia asiatica), a waxy-leafed tree with sweetsmelling white flowers, screw pines (Pandanas sp.), and ‘pohon ketapang’, which are grown by local people as a shade tree. The terrestrial plant population of the park has changed somewhat since the advent of small plot farming by local people. Native plants and trees such as bamboo, woka palms (Livistona rotundifolia), rattans (Calamus spp.), wild sugar palms (Arenga sp.) and figs (Ficus spp.) have often been replaced by agricultural crops, such as coconut palms, mangos, cassava, banana, and kenari nut trees. Mangroves and beach forests alike provide habitat and nesting grounds for a diverse array of flora and fauna. elongated fingers, tarsiers reach little more than 10 grams in weight at full maturity. While small populations of tarsier survive in the park, they are threatened by deforestation and sale in the international pet trade market. Bird and marine species diversity There are at least 30 species of birds that reside in the mangroves of Bunaken National Park, including a number of shore and sea birds such as terns, egrets and fishing eagles. Frigate birds, herons, storks, osprey, hawks, rails, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, kingfishers, swallows, and drongos are also common. Reptiles such as monitor lizards, venomous and non-venomous snakes, skinks and geckos are also commonly found in the park. In the waters of the park, a wide variety of rare and unusual fish species such as ghost pipefishes, frogfish, and pygmy seahorses can be found alongside a number of endangered species, including coelacanths (so-called “living fossils”; Manado is home to one of only two extant species of coelacanth, L. menadoensis,) green and hawksbill turtles, dugongs (sea cows), orcas (killer whales) and sperm whales. The park also contains a variety of sharks – including white tip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus), black tip reef sharks, (Carcharhinus melanopterus), and, occasionally, schools of hammerhead sharks – estuarine crocodiles, banded sea kraits (Laticauda sp.), five species of sea turtles – green, hawksbill, olive ridley, loggerhead and leatherback – and dolphins. Two threatened endemic terrestrial species A relatively pristine – albeit small – tropical rainforest sits on top of Manado Tua Island. This forest contains a shrinking population of crested black macaques. Crested black macaques are endemic to the northeastern tip of Sulawesi and found nowhere else on earth. Threatened by ongoing deforestation and land conversion, this species is critically endangered. According to the last population count, conducted in 1996, between 70 and 160 macaques reside in this shrinking forest. Crested black macaques are also an essential part of this forest ecosystem, as they are a primary vehicle for the distribution of native tree seeds. Another rare and threatened terrestrial species found in the park – mainly on Manado Tua, Bunaken Island and Montehage – is the tarsier, one of the world’s smallest primates. Known for its large eyes and disproportionately 8 Participatory patrol system; ecosystem restoration BNPMAB has mobilized a highly effective joint patrol system which brings together 52 villagers, 18 park rangers and 6 marine police officers. This environmental monitoring and patrol system now operates on a 24-hour a day basis, and is funded entirely by revenues from park entrance fees. The patrol system has effectively eliminated destructive fishing practices and was a major reason for the 11.3 percent increase in live coral cover between 2001 and 2003. A recent survey registered over 400 species of hard coral in the park – more Fig. 1: Visitors and revenue, 2001-2008 35,000 $150,000 30,000 25,000 $100,000 20,000 15,000 $50,000 10,000 5,000 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 $0 Domestic visitors International visitors Revenue (USD) Source: Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board, 2009. than five times the number of coral species found in the entire Caribbean. The survey singled out the BNPMAB patrol system as one of the key drivers of this diversity. The patrols are charged with regulating enforcement of the park’s zoning systems. Park zonation outlaws a number of destructive fishing techniques, particularly those known to result in by-catch. One example of the latter is ‘sero’ net traps, which are banned due to the high number of dugongs and sea turtles that become entangled in the devices. Deep-set shark nets have also been banned to prevent coelacanth by-catch. Where violators of these rules have been caught over the past three years, the patrol has released 32 green and hawksbill turtles, as well as a number of dugongs. Beyond the patrol, entrance fee revenues have been used to fund a number of conservation activities, including extensive replanting of mangroves and the rehabilitation of damaged reef areas. Local community members have also been mobilized into beach cleanup teams to deal with waste management and garbage problems within the park. Environmental education has underpinned much of this work, linking Bunaken with similar marine management experiments across south-east Asia. is primarily involved in coconut plantations, seasonal agriculture, as well as hook-and-line and pole fishing. On the island of Manado Tua, the population is mainly employed in line and net fishing. On Mantehage, the local population works in rice cultivation, reef fishing and seaweed farming. Local populations in other areas are similarly employed in these sectors. Prioritizing local livelihoods The Bunaken Concerned Citizen’s Forum (FMPTNB) represents all 30,000 villagers and occupies one of three seats on the BNPMAB board. To keep even the most remote villages informed on management issues and livelihood development programs – and to keep villagers connected with each other – the forum runs a 36-station, park-wide VHF radio network. This active involvement of the local community in park management has allowed for the improvement of local livelihoods without damaging the environment, and helped to spread the principles of democracy, accountability, representation and transparency in funds management. Communities were directly involved in zonation of the park, allowing for prioritization of local needs and a reduction in conflicts between resource users. The 24hour patrol team has virtually eliminated destructive fishing practices within the marine protected area, which has had a tremendous impact on villager livelihoods. Fish stocks and other marine species have been protected, and are now able to regenerate at natural rates, providing traditional fishermen with a sustainable and longterm source of income. SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS More than 30,000 people in 22 villages reside inside Bunaken National Park. The majority are farmers and fishermen, and depend on natural resources and the environment for employment and livelihoods. On the islands of Bunaken and Siladen, the population 9 Equitable benefit-sharing Another way in which local incomes and livelihood options have improved is through a small grants program for each village – the village conservation fund – financed using revenues from the park’s entrance fee system. With 30 percent of entrance fees dedicated to this small grants program on an annual basis – USD 30,000 in 2002 alone – all local residents are able to benefit from tourism in the park. Grants are provided for community-based projects that are in the public interest, and have included mangrove reforestation, English courses for school children, construction of public wells, sanitation services, landing docks, and paved footpaths. In terms of more direct tourism benefits, FMPTNB works in close collaboration with the North Sulawesi Watersports Association (NSWA) to ensure the growing ecotourism industry in the marine protected area advantages the local population. NSWA holds a commitment to hiring as many local staff as possible for positions as dive guides, resort staff, and boat captains. The association also prioritizes fishermen from within Bunaken National Park for their purchasing of fish products. Currently, over 1,000 villagers are directly or indirectly employed by the marine ecotourism industry. NSWA funds beach clean-ups and frequently pays for the printing and distribution of environmental education materials for local schools. Lastly, the company operates a scholarship program that funds disadvantaged children to attend high school and university. that improve non-tourism livelihood opportunities. One example of a successful project in this regard has been the use of discarded coconut shells to produce charcoal. This coconut shell charcoal not only provides a reliable fuel source, but offers an alternative to cutting down mangrove forests for firewood. In a related project, a group of local women have been trained in the production and use of energy-efficient clay cooking stoves that utilize the coconut charcoal. Project participants have improved their incomes and reduced health problems associated with smoke inhalation from wood-burning stoves. Other projects are currently being developed around seaweed mariculture and mangrove crab cultivation. BNPMAB also operates a ‘Bunaken Volunteers Program’ which attracts young international volunteers with knowledge in marine conservation to develop environment curriculums for local elementary schools. The curricula, which focus on coral and mangrove ecosystems, have a significant field component, which have helped engage local youth in hands-on conservation efforts. POLICY IMPACTS BNPMAB and FMPTNB have pioneered a number of new directions for Indonesian protected area management, including in comanagement arrangements, decentralized entrance fee systems, participatory development of park zonation, and joint patrols which directly involve local villagers in enforcement. Following a three-year trial period, the Department of Nature Conservation issued a decree proclaiming Bunaken National Park as a model for other national parks in Indonesia. This same department has developed a number of technical guidance manuals based on the Bunaken National Park model. Livelihood diversification and environmental education FMPTNB also works with a range of partners – notably USAID’s Natural Resources Management Program – to develop projects 10 Sustainability and Replication SUSTAINABILITY The push for a collaborative management system of Bunaken National Park began in 2000, and was driven by the parks’ two primary user groups - the FMPTNB and NSWA. In part due to the widespread changes in governance that Indonesia was experiencing at that time, BNP was granted a special waiver by the Department of Nature Conservation to implement a co-management system, including a decentralized user fee system that allowed the park to set its own fee structure and retain all revenues at the local level for management of BNP. The co-management system and decentralized entrance fee system were the first of their kind in Indonesia, and were grounded in provincial law. Since that time, the central government has recognized the strengths of this system and declared Bunaken’s co-management system a model for all Indonesian national parks to aspire to. Beyond this strong legal and institutional basis, the co-management arrangement is sustainable from a social perspective, as it has given each of the primary park stakeholders a strong role in management and an incentive to remain actively involved. For the village stakeholders in particular, this initiative represents the first opportunity many of them have ever had to voice their opinions and influence policy. From a financial perspective, BNPMAB is also sustainable and is forging ahead with a diversified portfolio of sustainable funding options. To date, financial sustainability has largely been secured through the park’s entrance fee system. Other components of the BNP funding portfolio include national government park funding (currently USD 100,000 per year), in-kind support from the local tourism sector (worth over USD 30,000 in 2002, including boat and diver support for monitoring, reef rehabilitation and conservation education programs), an international volunteer program (valued at USD 30,000 in 2003), local government budget support (totaling USD 40,000 in 2002, including health and infrastructure projects 11 within the park) and national and international grant support. Two additional sources of funding that are currently under development include visitor center merchandising and a potential endowment fund. REPLICATION Established as “centre of excellence” by the Indonesian Department of Nature Conservation, BNPMAB has become a model for comanagement of marine areas, and a site for peer-to-peer learning and replication both nationally and internationally. The park has hosted knowledge exchange visits from seven national parks in Indonesia, as well as a marine protected area in Viet Nam, the UNDP’s Bohol Marine Triangle project, the El Nido marine protected area from the Philippines, and a range of marine protected area managers from Thailand, Malaysia, and the United States. BNPMAB has also provided input into the development of the Namena Marine Reserve in Fiji. Most recently, BNPMAB developed a 10-day marine protected area management course for other regional groups to learn from the Bunaken co-management experience. The International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) has recognized Bunaken’s strong commitment to sustainable tourism in selecting it as their Asian marine protected area demonstration site for sustainable reef tourism. BNP has also been selected as one of four marine protected areas to participate in a pilot study to develop business plans for Asian marine protected areas under the auspices of the World Commission on Protected Areas Southeast Asia Marine Working Group. PARTNERS BNPMAB is a multi-stakeholder partnership. The board coordinates the activities and policies of various government agencies with the park authorities, and supports them in formulating and funding conservation and monitoring programs. There are fifteen seats on the board, with seven held by government institutions (tourism, fisheries, and environment departments from the city, district, provincial and national level) and eight by non-government institutions (representing academia, environmental NGOs, private sector, and the communities represented by the FMPTNB). In this partnership model, government agencies create policies that support conservation and ecotourism, marine police support with enforcement of zonation laws, non-governmental organizations support with monitoring and conservation, universities with research, private sector partners with ecotourism management, and communities in carrying out conservation and livelihood strategies on the ground. • • Bunaken National Park Office: Disseminates the conservation mission of the BNPMAB to all stakeholders; represents central government and has legal authority over the park. Environmental Impact Control Department (provincial): Coordinates policies of the national park office and Manado government offices. Contributes ideas on relevant issues, makes appropriate recommendations, and helps the board to negotiate business sector licenses related to environmental impacts. Environmental Impact Control Department (district): Represents and provides information on the policies and interests of the department; lobbies regional government in support of BNPMAB programs and provides technical input on coastal development and pollution issues. Tourism Department North Sulawesi: Represents the government’s interests in tourism development, with the authority to grant licenses to businesses wishing to operate in the park. A key player in promoting sustainable tourism development in the park. Concerned Citizen’s Forum for Bunaken National Park: Represents the aspirations of local communities and brings their priorities to the board; advocates for community interests such as benefit-sharing, alternative incomes and conservation awareness; acts as a channel of communication between the board and the community; coordinates logistics for park • • • • • • • • patrols; promotes and implements the board’s programs at the grassroots level. The forum was a key player in designing a participatory zonation process that could be understood by villagers, divers, dive operators and government officials, and is directly involved in the coordination and control of the park patrol system. The forum also helps to select and administer the board’s small grants program for village improvement and plays an increasingly important role in negotiating successful management arrangements. Manado Environment Department: The one Manado citylevel agency that sits on the BNPMAB board; ensures that all management initiatives are environmentally-friendly and accommodated by law. University of Sam Ratulangi – Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science: Represents the scientific community and provides scientific technical advice to BNPMAB. Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries: An important member on the board due to the valuable fisheries within the park and this national agency’s role in regulating them. Has been active in keeping “outside” fishing operations from obtaining licenses to fish within the park and thereby compete with local villagers. Indonesian Forum for The Environment (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia - WALHI): This forum of local environmental NGOs helps BNPMAB to spend funds appropriately in relation to community needs and activities. Co-ordinates communications between stakeholders, and provides suggestions to improve decisions. North Sulawesi Watersports Association (NSWA): Represents the park’s other primary user group: the marine tourism industry. The NSWA was formed in 1997 by seven environmentallyconcerned dive operators, and has grown to include 15 dive resorts, the vast majority of those operating in Bunaken. Perhaps more than any other group, NSWA was the primary driving force behind the move towards more effective, inclusive collaborative management of the park in 2000. At the core of the NSWA’s efforts to protect Bunaken’s rich but threatened marine resources is an innovative program of ‘3E’s: Employment, Education and Enforcement.’ 12 FURTHER REFERENCE • • • Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board website Arin, T., and Kramer, R. A. 2002. Divers’ Willingness to Pay to Visit Marine Sanctuaries: An Exploratory Study. Ocean & Coastal Management 45, pp.171–183. Newman, C. M. and LeDrew, E. 2005. Towards Community- and Scientific-Based Information Integration in Marine Resource Management in Indonesia: Bunaken National Park Case Study. Environments Journal Volume 33(1), pp. 5-24. 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