If you’ve never been to Indonesia, it’s likely that this beautiful nation is somewhere close to the top of your travel bucket list. Now, the Indonesian government has taken an even stronger stand for environmental sustainability by creating a new marine sanctuary for sharks and manta rays – one that is certain to become a haven for nature-loving scuba divers, too.
New Bans on Shark Finning and Shark Fishing
Indonesia is situated in an area known as the Coral Triangle, which is often called the “Amazon of the Ocean” for its rich biodiversity. The nation is the first in the region to provide protection under the law for sharks and manta rays alike. In February of 2013, a 46,000 square kilometer protection zone was created, prompting Rizal Algamar, the Indonesian director of the Nature Conservancy to describe the new regulations protecting marine life as a “breakthrough policy.”
The newly protected area was at risk for overfishing, and is currently at risk due to climate change. Now that protections are in place, marine life in the area has a much better chance to survive and thrive. The area is situated near Raja Ampat, which is on the western edge of New Guinea Island – you may have heard of it in the past as it is a very popular area for scuba diving.
Scientists have expressed grave concern about the state of the Coral Triangle’s environment, both due to ocean acidification caused by rapid global warming effects, and due to overfishing. As shark populations are in steep decline worldwide, and as Indonesia currently ranks as the world’s biggest exporter of sharks and rays including manta rays, the new sanctuary is a huge step in the right direction for that country. In a statement, Rizal Algamar discussed the vital role sharks and rays play in the environment, as well as in Indonesia’s growing tourist industry.
“Sharks in particular play an important role as apex predators at the top of the food chain, maintaining fisheries and ecosystem health,” he said. He continued, stating that “Scientific evidence states that the value of live sharks and manta rays far outweighs the one-time profit of dead sharks and manta rays, benefiting a growing world-class and increasingly popular marine tourism and dive destination.”
Indonesia is already home to no-take zones where shark fishing and finning is illegal, so the new sanctuary will do even more to protect and support sharks in the region. It is also certain to help prevent a decrease in manta ray numbers; unfortunately, manta ray gill rakers are a popular ingredient in Asian medicines.
Marine tourism is a sustainable alternative to the overfishing, logging, and mining that previously drove Raja Ampat’s economy, and local people are reaping the rewards of sound policies like this one not just financially, but in greater health for themselves and for the natural environment around them. Should you get the opportunity to visit the region, you’ll find yourself surrounded by more than 600 hard coral species and diving with about 1,430 reef species, along with turtles and marine mammals. As marvelous as Raja Ampat’s dive sites are today, we’re excited about what the future holds for this magnificent – and now well protected – region.