Indonesia: West Manggarai establishes shark, manta ray sanctuary

Jakarta Post, Bali Daily 12 Sep 13;

Bali West Manggarai Regent Agustinus Ch. Dula designated in late August his entire regency’s marine and coastal waters as a shark and manta ray sanctuary, a decision that has drawn strong support from local environmentalists, the tourist industry and water sports operators.

Fishing is now prohibited for manta rays, threatened shark species, and other threatened species, such as turtles, dugong, Napoleon wrasse and some coral species, throughout the regency’s 7,000 square kilometers of sea that extend up to 12 nautical miles offshore.

This also includes waters around Komodo Island, the site of the national park famous for its population of Komodo dragons.

“Our district of West Manggarai and Komodo is recognized as a world-class marine tourism destination. By prohibiting fishing for these threatened species, we can ensure they will remain for future generations to enjoy,” the regency Marine and Fisheries Agency head, Sebastinus Wantung, said in a press release sent to Bali Daily.

West Manggarai and Komodo, located at the heart of the Coral Triangle, is home to some of the world’s richest marine biodiversity, including more than 10 shark species and both oceanic and reef manta rays.

“Manta-watching tourism is worth an estimated US$15 million to Indonesia’s economy every year, and West Manggarai and Komodo is one of the top destinations. The chance to see a manta ray draws divers and snorkelers from around the world,” said MantaWatch director Andrew Harvey.

“I applaud the regent’s visionary leadership, this is a great example of how governments and the diving industry can work together to achieve positive impacts for the environment and the economy.”

“The marine environment is a very important element driving the growth of tourism in this region,” said Greg Heighes, a local dive operator and representative of the Komodo Dive Operators Association.

The West Manggarai and Komodo district government invited MantaWatch to provide technical and legal advice, and worked with the Komodo Dive Operators Association to develop proposals for the shark and manta ray sanctuary. Divers are now helping to monitor the sanctuary’s impacts on populations of threatened species by sharing their encounters on MantaTrax, a social web application developed by MantaWatch to promote open and participative marine conservation.

MantaWatch is a not-for-profit marine conservation company based in London, UK, that is working to protect threatened manta rays by applying technologies and education to support local conservation actions. MantaWatch operates MantaTrax — the world’s first social web application dedicated to open, transparent and participative marine conservation — and runs the annual MantaWatch Internship Program — a professional manta ray research and conservation training program for students in developing countries.