Rapid and Unsustainable Development

Just 15 years ago there were 2-3 liveaboards operating in the little known and difficult to access region of Raja Ampat for just a few months each year. 10 years ago, there were approximately 5-8 land based operations and just 3000 tourists per year (Birdshead Seascape).  In 2019, there were approximately 30,000 (known) tourists, 26+ resorts – with more under construction – 150  guesthouses, 100+ liveaboards and a growing number of private vessels frequenting the area.  Previously, the general agreement by conservation groups and concerned parties was that tourism would provide a genuine solution to a number of conservation and socio-economic issues;
1) It would provide a sustainable and directly beneficial livelihood to local people by taking the place of extractive activities like bomb fishing, shark finning, mining or deforestation
2) The presence of tourists would (and did!) serve as an informal regulatory system that  would discourage illegal and extractive behaviours
3) Revenue generated from tourism would demonstrate the economic value of an intact marine ecosystem, and in doing so, protect it.

However, as is the case in many remote, undeveloped and beautiful locations on the planet, word quickly spread and Raja Ampat, currently touted “The Last Paradise”, rapidly became the must see location on all diver and intrepid travellers list.  For the past 5-7 years, as a result of national and international marketing efforts by the tourism industry, the region has been experiencing a period of unprecedented and rapid development.

The Dampier Strait, with its with strong currents and upwellings which support an abundance of marine life, lies at the heart of this development.  Yet it is these same strong currents that impact and influence the wider region of Raja Ampat; meaning that any development that influences or disturbs the ecology in Dampier Strait, could also influence and disturb Raja Ampat as a whole.

Reefs Over Carrying Capacity

A study by Renoldy L Papilaya et al (2019) has estimated more popular reefs are well over ecological carrying capacity (ie: the threshold limit for visitor use and consequent incidental damage that the coral reef ecosystem can sustain without being degraded), yet the numbers still grow.  From an ecological perspective, at some locations there are visible signs of damage, disease and pollution throughout the region, drawing concern from scientists and conservationists, and complaints from tourists who seek the uncrowded and pristine reefs they’ve read about. More alarmingly, as baselines for the term ‘untouched’ change, this current state of degradation is considered as ‘pristine’ by many, in comparison to the heavily degraded, or even dead, reefs found elsewhere in the world.

Of the 70 dive sites monitored in our Orang Laut Raja Ampat monitoring program, 9 dive sites represent 50% of the tourism pressure.

Substrate Stabilisation

Whilst so much of Raja Ampat remains relatively pristine, amongst the abundance lies the effect of human interference and influence; including large areas of degraded reef and coral rubble caused by destructive fishing practices (dynamite and cyanide fishing) from the  80s through to early 2000s.  To this day, many of these destroyed reefs have not recovered.  These degraded reefs cannot regenerate without assistance, and additionally pose threats to healthy reefs located nearby (see diagram).

In collaboration with local communities, The SEA People restore degraded areas of reef using substrate stabilization techniques that enable coral polyps to successfully settle and grow, to eventually re-establish large and healthy reef networks that support the abundance of life Raja Ampat is known for. See our Yaf Keru project for more details.

Coral Degradation – Physical Damage

Anchor Damage & Boat Strike

The complex currents and topographic systems of Raja Ampat make it very challenging for liveaboards and private sailing vessels to safely and harmlessly anchor without damaging coral reefs. At present, few moorings existing within the Marine Park, leaving vessels no alternative but to anchor within an environment where abundant corals still thrive between 35-50m. This, combined with a lack of detailed regional maps, and potential lack of awareness and negligence by vessel operators, is resulting in unnecessary damage to reefs within the marine parks, particularly on reefs more frequently visited by tourism.  

Trampling & Kicking

The rapidly increasing tourism density combined with a lack of environmental awareness has provoked a marked increase in physical degradation of shallow reefs nearby tourism hotspots.

Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS)

These coral eating starfish can devastate entire reefs when their populations abnormally increase in response to pollution, warming, or overfishing of their predators. At this point, there are several reefs within the Marine Parks that have COTs populations at outbreak level. This plague-like situation is difficult to evaluate and can only be contained through collaboration between stakeholders to mitigate these outbreaks. We have established a participative citizen science approach that is open to any individual or organisation that wishes to contribute.

More information about our collaborative response can be found on our COTS Outbreak Map and  COTS in Raja Ampat pages.