FINAL DRAFT Report on a rapid ecological assessment of the Raja Ampat Islands, Papua, Eastern Indonesia held October 30 – November 22, 2002 PEMDA KABUPATEN RAJA AMPAT Report on a rapid ecological assessment of the Raja Ampat Islands, Papua, Eastern Indonesia, held October 30 – November 22, 2002 Final Draft November 2003 The Nature Conservancy - Southeast Asia Center for Marine Protected Areas Jl Pengembak 2, Sanur, Bali, INDONESIA phone +62 361 287272, fax +62 361 270737 Compiled and edited by Ryan Donnelly, Duncan Neville and Dr Peter J. Mous Lay-out by Muhammad Barmawi Table of contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1 Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Methodology.......................................................................................................................................... 10 1.3 Results ................................................................................................................................................... 14 1.3.1 Socio-economic Conditions............................................................................................................ 14 1.3.2 Coral Reef Fishes ........................................................................................................................... 14 1.3.3 Coral Diversity and the Status of Coral Reefs................................................................................ 15 1.3.4 Status of Sea Turtle Populations..................................................................................................... 16 1.3.5 Coastal Botanical Survey................................................................................................................ 16 1.3.6 The Live Reef Food-Fish Trade ..................................................................................................... 17 1.3.7 Shark Fin Fishery ........................................................................................................................... 18 1.3.8 Priority Conservation Areas ........................................................................................................... 18 1.4 Current Conservation Initiatives............................................................................................................ 19 1.5 Conservation Recommendations and Follow-up................................................................................... 20 1.6 References ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Chapter 2 Socio-Economic Conditions in the Raja Ampat Islands................................................................ 21 2.1 Summary................................................................................................................................................ 21 2.2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 22 2.3 Aims and Objectives.............................................................................................................................. 22 2.4 Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 23 2.5 Population Structure and Dynamics ...................................................................................................... 25 2.5.1 Old Migrants................................................................................................................................... 25 2.5.2 New Migrants ................................................................................................................................. 25 2.6 Population Dynamics............................................................................................................................. 26 2.7 Government Structure ........................................................................................................................... 27 2.8 Government Services............................................................................................................................. 28 2.8.1 Education........................................................................................................................................ 28 2.8.2 Health ............................................................................................................................................. 29 2.8.3 Security........................................................................................................................................... 29 2.8.4 Transportation................................................................................................................................. 29 2.9 Economic Activities and Income Levels ............................................................................................... 30 2.9.1 Indigenous People .......................................................................................................................... 30 1 2.9.2 Old Migrants................................................................................................................................... 31 2.9.3 Destructive Fishing Practices ......................................................................................................... 31 2.9.4 Logging........................................................................................................................................... 33 2.9.5 Pearl Farming ................................................................................................................................. 35 2.10 Tenure Issues and Cultural Regulations Governing Resource Use ..................................................... 35 2.11 Influence and Involvement of Outside Parties on Resource Use......................................................... 36 2.11.1 Blast Fishermen ............................................................................................................................ 37 2.11.2 Potassium Cyanide Fishermen...................................................................................................... 37 2.11.3 Ikan Teri Fishermen and the Tuna Fishing Companies................................................................ 38 2.11.4 Philippine Fishermen.................................................................................................................... 38 2.11.5 Balinese Fishermen ...................................................................................................................... 38 2.12 Community Development Issues in Raja Ampat.................................................................................39 2.13 Immediate Challenges Faced by the Raja Ampat Government........................................................... 39 2.14 What Can Be Done to Help the People and Government of Raja Ampat? ......................................... 40 2.15 Areas Likely to Achieve Greatest Conservation Success.................................................................... 40 2.16 References ........................................................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 3 Coral Reef Fishes of the Raja Ampat Islands ................................................................................ 42 3.1 Summary................................................................................................................................................ 42 3.2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 43 3.3 Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 43 3.4 Results ................................................................................................................................................... 43 3.4.1 General faunal composition............................................................................................................ 43 3.4.2 Fish community structure ............................................................................................................... 45 3.4.3 Richest sites for fishes .................................................................................................................... 45 3.4.4 Coral Fish Diversity Index (CFDI)................................................................................................. 46 3.4.5 Zoogeographic affinities of the Raja Ampats fish fauna ................................................................ 49 3.4.6 Endemism....................................................................................................................................... 50 3.5 New records for Indonesia..................................................................................................................... 51 3.6 Historical