Report by Bert Hoeksema1 and Merijn Bos2 to the EDIT Network From

Home , Bunaken

THE FEASIBILITY OF ATBI+M ACTIVITIES IN INDONESIA, BY COLLABORATIVE EUROPEAN/SE ASIAN EXPEDITIONS Report by Bert Hoeksema1 and Merijn Bos2 to the EDIT network

INTRODUCTION From April 2 to April 5 we have visited institutions in Indonesia (see table 1) to assess the feasibility of collaborative EU/SE Asian marine fieldwork in the world’s centre of marine biodiversity, following expressions of interest by the EDIT network and the Natural History Museums in Paris (France) and Leiden (Holland). Particularly, proposed activities in extra-EU ATBI sites “Raja Ampat” and “Bunaken/Lembeh Strait” have been discussed with the permit providing Indonesian scientific institute LIPI (Research Centre for Oceanography = RCO-LIPI or PPO-LIPI), the most important counterpart for scientific activities in Indonesia. EDIT can be included in the already existing MoU between NNM Naturalis, Netherlands and RCO-LIPI. Collaborations have been discussed with the governmental program COREMAP that integrates science, management and education in relation to sustainable coral reef management. Further collaboration has been discussed with the Sam Ratulangi University at Manado (UNSRAT) and organizations such as WWF Indonesia and Bunaken Nature Reserve, which have expressed immediate needs for thorough scientific biodiversity assessments and full support of EU/SE Asian activities. Outreach for EU/SE Asian activities has been discussed and we have been invited to become member of a committee to organize a “Coral reef biodiversity, conservation and ecotourism” conference that will be held in 2008 in Manado as prelude to the World Ocean Summit in 2009 following an international and regional call. We presented EDIT as a portal for non-EU countries to access all its member institutions through a single platform. Without exception, organizations warmly invited EDIT members to participate in collaborative expeditions. EDIT was not presented as funding agency, but external funding and re-allocation of existing funding was discussed. Below we summarize the key results of our meetings, discussions and observations. Our experiences can be used as example for using long-term contacts of EDIT members to expand EDIT’s reputation abroad in order the facilitate activities in biodiversity rich non-EU countries.

1 NNM Leiden, Netherlands, [email protected] 2 SMNS Stuttgart, Germany, [email protected]

Table 1: Travel itinerary Bert W. Hoeksema and Merijn M. Bos, April 2-5 2007 Date Visit to… April 2 10.00-13.00 RCO-LIPI (=Recearh Centre for Oceanography, LIPI). Location: N. Jakarta 14.00-16.00 COREMAP I (1st phase of “Coral reef rehabilitation and management programme”). Location: C. Jakarta April 3 9.00-14.00 COREMAP II (2nd phase). Location: S. Jakarta April 4 9.00-12.00 UNSRAT (Universitas Sam Ratulangi), Manado. With visit to the vice-dean Dr. Hens Onibala 12.00-13.00 WWF Indonesia office Manado 14.00-18.00 RCO-LIPI fieldstation in Bitung, Lembeh Strait April 5 9.00-12.00 UNSRAT (Universitas Sam Ratulangi), Manado. With visit to the dean Dr. Ineke Masengi 12.00-13.00 Director of Bunaken National Park advisory board 14.00-19.00 UNSRAT’s fieldstation in Likupang, the northernmost tip of Sulawesi

2 EU/SE ASIAN COLLABORATION Our presentation of the concept of EDIT was enthusiastically received as “portal” for non-EU countries to collaboration with EU institutions and access to their biodiversity information. Possible funding by EDIT was not mentioned. International involvement will lead to enhanced field laboratories and institutional, multinational integration. Ongoing programs on coral reef management use the same terminology as EDIT’s keywords of “biodiversity, science, education, policies and integration” and all parties will profit and gain from intensifying and unifying the yet scattered contacts between Malaysian, Philippine, Indonesian and European institutions. Fig. 1 The Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME), a tri-national region of high conservation priority. Red areas are priority sites because of extremely high and unique biodiversity. Source: WWF/CI/TNC.

This concept can provide an “umbrella” framework for collaborative EU/Indonesian/ Malaysian/Philippine fieldwork.

THE NEEDS The director of RCO-LIPI, Dr. Suharsono, has explicitly invited European researchers to join in the planned expedition to Raja Ampat (“Expedisi Widya Nusantara”, E-WIN) in November 2007. There are six research positions available on the RV “Baruna Jaya 8” (http://www.bj8.or.id). The expedition organized by NNM Naturalis Netherlands can be a “shore-based” annex to E- WIN for coral reef assessments by 25-30 Dutch, Indonesian and European researchers. In 2008, activities can be expanded with large scale fieldwork in North Sulawesi. North Sulawesi was suggested by Dr. Philippe Bouchet (Paris Museum) as a possibility for a follow-up of SANTO2006 and other malacological expeditions in SE Asia-West Pacific. Naturalis has long-term experience with working in that area, mostly in collaboration with RCO-LIPI.

3 LIPI is eager to join in new initiatives and the governments advisory board for Bunaken Nature Reserve has expressed needs for biotic inventories. Activities will be supported by WWF, The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International because North Sulawesi fits in the Malaysian – Indonesian - Philippine “Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion” (fig. 1). The excellent facilities in North Sulawesi (see below) are perfect for setting up long-term international monitoring networks. The university at Manado (with several specialists in marine taxa, especially mollusks) will profit from international collaborations because it has to organize an international conference on “Coral Reef biodiversity, Conservation and Ecotourism” in 2008 as a prelude to the World Ocean Summit hosted by the North Sulawesi government in 2009. We are invited to become member of the organisatory committee of this conference.

THE PERMITS Research permits are provided by LIPI and should, if funding is guaranteed, be no problem based on the old relationships between NNM Leiden Netherlands and LIPI. The EDIT network can be included as addendum to an existing MoU between NNM and LIPI. Permit acquisition starts 3-6 months before the activity and needs 3 days of personal presence in Jakarta. Costs are strictly administrative and do not exceed 80 EURO.

Left: A view on Lembeh Strait from the LIPI fieldstation in Bitung. Right: The jetty and view on the Likupang fieldstation of the University of Manado.

4 THE FACILLITIES RCO-LIPI owns a fieldstation in Bitung along Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi which can be used for international expeditions. Dormitories have to be rented elsewhere, but the city of Bitung offers sufficient capacitiy for large expeditions. International expeditions can increase the quality of the aimed “LIPI Lembeh Marine Reference Collection” that has started to be set up. The University of Manado owns a fieldstation at Likupang, at the northernmost tip of North Sulawesi. This fieldstation has been built with an investment via the World Bank and international expeditions could reanimate this yet infrequently used station. The fieldstation and its dormitories can host large expedition teams (>50 persons) and has its own jetty and boat. Costs of usage will depend on negotiations but are expected to be as low as general maintenance costs (personnel, generator, lab-installment, etc.).