Good Management Helps Komodo’s Coral Reefs Recover by 60 Percent

August 12, 2005

A new report shows that the coral reefs of Komodo National Park in Indonesia have shown significant natural recovery since effective management was put in place in 1996. Between 1996 and 2002, live coral cover increased by 60 percent. This recovery is a result of enhanced surveillance by the Komodo National Park Authority — with assistance from The Nature Conservancy — which has dramatically decreased incidences of blast fishing.

Based at stations on Komodo and Rinca Island, park rangers kept records of the number of explosions from blast fishing. These records show that blast fishing, an illegal and destructive practice, decreased 90 percent after park rangers began regular patrols using speedboats made available by the Conservancy.

Bob Mosse, the Conservancy’s Komodo project leader, said that the coral monitoring program, implemented jointly by the Komodo National Park Authority and the Conservancy, has been instrumental in demonstrating the effectiveness of improved management.

Good management, Mosse explained, not only benefits biodiversity; it also benefits local communities. “Before 1996, the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on the park’s reefs were severely threatened by relatively few individuals who used homemade explosives to catch a lot of fish in a short time,” Mosse said.

Unfortunately, live coral cover outside of the Komodo National Park actually decreased between 2000-2002.

Two different factors may have caused this decrease:

• First, an outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish, an animal that feeds on coral polyps, may have reduced coral cover in the waters to the Northeast of the park.
• Secondly, blast fishing in waters outside the jurisdiction of park staff has probably caused damage to reefs around Banta Island to the Northwest of the park.

Even though blast fishing has been abated successfully in Komodo National Park, it is still a common practice throughout Indonesia. A recent study showed that the economic impact of blast fishing to Indonesia could reach up to US$8.5 billion over a period of 20 years.

For more information about Indonesia and Komodo National Park:

• The Nature Conservancy in Indonesia
  Since 1991 The Nature Conservancy has worked in partnership with Indonesia’s government and people to protect the country’s irreplaceable natural resources.
• Places We Protect: Komodo National Park, Indonesia
  Although famous for its unique land-dwelling Komodo dragons, Komodo National Park features one of the world's most biologically diverse marine environments.
• Success Story: Komodo National Park, Indonesia
  The Nature Conservancy's Rescue the Reef® program is raising funds to help preserve the rich coral reef diversity and marine life in Indonesia's Komodo National Park.
• Ecotourism: Komodo National Park, Indonesia
  Komodo National Park’s tourism facilities at Loh Liang and Loh Buaya provide rustic accommodations that serve as an excellent base for exploration of this World Heritage Site.
• Postcards from the Field: Komodo National Park
  Komodo National Park is home to some of the world's richest biodiversity in the sea and on land and is one of The Nature Conservancy's top priorities in Indonesia.
• How We Work: Global Marine Initiative
  The Nature Conservancy’s Global Marine Initiative links land and sea conservation in an effort to protect the rich array of plant and animal life and safeguard the tremendous benefits the oceans provide.
• How We Work: Southeast Asia Center for Marine Protected Areas (SEACMPA)
  Established in 2000, The Nature Conservancy’s Southeast Asia Center for Marine Protected Areas in Bali is uniquely positioned to address threats to the world’s most biodiverse seas and help people reap their benefits sustainably.
• Archive of our Saves of the Week and Success Stories
  Read more about The Nature Conservancy's work to save the last great places on Earth.