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Protecting coral ecosystems How one man changed the map for community-based marine conservation Lorenz Mäder’s decades of work is evident through the abundance of unspoiled, healthy coral reefs surrounding the island, including on the house reef just steps from the beach ith unique and vital coral reef ecosystem around the world Wfacing threats from human activity, the need to protect them is ever more urgent. Traditional responses to do this have been through regulation and top-down enforcement. But lately conservation leaders have shown there’s another way, one which inspires and incentivizes local communities and user groups to willingly engage in grass- roots conservation efforts A Swiss diver, Lorenz Mäder, was an early Lorenz Mäder, whose years proponent of this approach, and the programme he created is now one of investment is testament of the world's most successful community-based, privately funded to how sustainable eco- marine conservation initiatives. tourism can work By Karen Stearns n the beginnings magnificent coral formations marine biology background he IThe genesis for what would he found there. At that time, convinced them to set aside 40% come to be known as the Wakatobi dynamite fishing, reef gleaning of their traditional fishing areas as Collaborative Reef Conservation and netting were becoming wide no-take replenishment zones. In Programme took shape in the spread, and there were few if the years that followed they saw 1990s. Mäder had spent years any restrictions on fishing and significant increases in their catch, searching for the ideal place harvesting practices. But rather and became the replenishment to create a small dive resort, than lobby for governmental inter- zones' staunchest defenders. eventually coming to the remote vention and largely unenforceable Indonesian island of Pulau regulations, Lorenz reached out to But preservation for the future isn't Tolandona in the Tukang Besi local fishermen and communities. an easy concept for people living archipelago of Indonesia’s Banda hand-to-mouth, Lorenz says. “You Sea. From the outset, Lorenz Despite language barriers and have to build trust, and there also understood the importance of initial skepticism, he eventually has to be demonstrative material protecting and preserving the won them over. Drawing on his benefits.” Benefits were created 40 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific A site known as The Zoo sports a pristine, hard On coral reefs free of harmful fishing activities you coral slope that can be seen from the surface will likely see large green sea turtles gliding majestically, as here on the house reef just steps from the resort beach on Tolandano when a six km section of reef with become an international model for Indonesian government expanded seagrass meadows surrounding private-sector conservation. the area created by the resort’s the new resort was designated conservation program to create the a permanent no-take zone. In Changing the map Wakatobi National Park which now exchange for this Lorenz pledged Lorenz named his resort Wakatobi, encompassed nearly 1.4 million to make direct lease payments a word created by taking the first hectares, which has been desig- to 17 local villages using revenue two letters of the four largest nated an autonomous region with generated by resort guests. The islands in the archipelago: Wangi- a new name: Wakatobi Regency. In programme has since expanded Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and 2005 UNESCO listed the Wakatobi to cover 20 km of reef, and has Binongko. Then in 2002, the National Park as a tentative World Hard coral formations such as this can take several decades (or more) to develop but can be destroyed in mere seconds by destructive fishing practices like explosives or nets www.dive-pacific.com 41 For a resort to be on such a remote island without causing harm to it is not easy. One way to reduce its carbon footprint was when Lorenz Mäder convinced the government to establish the region’s first solar power plant on the adjacent island of Tomia tying the resort into a local solar cooperative to supply most of its needs during daylight hours. Heritage Site and added it in 2012 Wakatobi’s commitment to the are provided to schools while the to the World Network of Biosphere local community has expanded resort’s micro-credit programme Reserves. beyond the marine preserve assists small-scale entrepreneurs too. The resort uses traditional seeking alternatives to unsustain- More than money labor and materials to build able fishing practices. Today, the Collaborative Reef and maintain it’s infrastructure Conservation Programme installs providing full-time employment Real rewards and maintains a network of for 150 locals. It provides electricity Wakatobi’s conservation and social moorings in the reserve and for the nearby 500-person village initiatives have yielded substantial in-area harbors thereby elimi- and sponsors waste management benefits. Now reefs in the marine nating anchor damage to the in the area. Educational materials preserve are in near-pristine condi- reefs. Other initiatives include reef monitoring and cleaning, sponsorship of marine biology and ecology education, daily reef cleaning, and sponsoring reef and fishing area patrols by local communities, police, military, and rangers. Since the Collaborative Reef Conservation Programme was initiated, healthy corals and sponges now stretch across the reserve’s 20 km of prime habitat 42 Dive New Zealand | Dive Pacific Drop beneath the waves on a healthy vibrant reef with thousands of species of coral, sponges, fi sh and invertebrates and you can see good reef management is possible tion, and overall fish populations have rebounded move your resort when the diving is no longer good,” allowing for sustainable harvests in selected areas. he says. “So it’s better to do what you can to protect it, to enjoy it now and in the future.” Many people see Lorenz as a visionary who initiated one of the world’s largest privately-funded and email: [email protected] managed marine protected areas. But he says his www.wakatobi.com motives are more pragmatic: “You can’t pack up and www.dive-pacific.com 43.

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