Project offers hope for ecosystem
Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post 2 Oct 09;
Dozens of businessmen, journalists, students and tourists are participating in the Bali Reef Project, a coral reef farming and underwater cleanup program that aims to protect Bali's marine ecosystem from further damage.
The program was held in conjunction with World Tourism Day, which fell on Sept. 27.
I Ketut Ena Partha, the coordinator and initiator of the program, said the coral reef planting and cleanup activities had first taken place along the 500-meter Semawang beach in Sanur resort area.
"We divided participants into two teams," Partha said.
The first team conducted coral planting, while the second team carried out underwater cleanup.
Coral planting began with the installation of planting media made from half-circled steel constructions measuring 3-meters-wide and 1.28-meters-tall.
"It took two hours to plant the coral reefs, which involved taking part of the living reefs and planting them within the steel planting media," Partha explained.
By using this planting method, it was expected that the new reefs would emerge between one-and-a-half and two months depending on the condition of the plant media and the underwater climate.
The program began years ago in an effort to preserve Sanur's underwater ecosystem.
Coral reefs are under threat from climate change, ocean acidification and overuse of reef resources. Overfishing and other human threats have also damaged the coral reefs.
A 2003 Johns Hopkins University study revealed Indonesia is home to a third of the world's total corals and a quarter of its fish species, within an area of nearly 85,000 square kilometers. Coral reefs are key to maintaining marine biodiversity.
Indonesia's coral reefs, which are located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, have fallen victim to destructive fishing, unregulated tourism, and bleaching due to climatic changes.
Data from 414 reef monitoring stations in 2000 found that only six percent of Indonesia's coral reefs are in excellent condition, while 24 percent are in good condition, and approximately 70 percent are in poor to fair condition.
Partha said the progam was possible thanks to donations from local and foreign tourists, who paid US$1 per person when they did underwater sports in Sanur.
"The fund was used for the preservation and conservation activities," Partha added.
Partha later established the Bali Reef Project, which overviews conservation efforts in Sanur, Menjangan island in North Bali, Tulamben waters in East Bali and other areas.
The project's general manager Harod Friedrich added that the coral farming and underwater cleanup were part of attempts to retain Bali's marine ecosystem.
There are 30 diving companies supporting the program.
"We have good support from many diving communities and that's really working," Harod said.
