Marine Conservation Evidence

As the global epicenter of marine biodiversity, the Bird’s Head Seascape (BHS) of West Papua, Indonesia, is a priority for international conservation efforts. The BHS, which encompasses more than 2,500 islands spread across 225,000 square km (or 22.5 million hectares), is home to approximately 75% of the worlds scleractinian coral species. At the same time, the waters of the BHS provide critical habitat for globally threatened sea turtles and cetaceans. These natural riches support the livelihoods and food security of approximately 350,000 people in coastal communities. The coastal communities of the BHS are highly dependent on marine resources, with marine capture fisheries providing the main source of monetary income for almost a third of households and the majority of dietary protein for 69% of households. Consequently, it is critical to maintain the health and productivity of BHS coastal marine ecosystems to continue to sustain coastal livelihoods in the region.

The globally unique marine biodiversity in the BHS has made the region a strategic conservation priority. Over the past decade, marine conservation efforts led by the Indonesian government in partnership with civil society and local 　communities have brought more than 3.6 million hectares under protection, through the establishment and management of  Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This effort began in 2004, when local communities, government, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) identified the BHS as a conservation priority and began the process of formally designating a network of MPAs across the region, to secure the long-term effective management of marine resources to ensure food security, sustainable economic benefits, and conserve biodiversity. By 2009, 12 MPAs had been established, stretching from Teluk Cenderwasih National Park in the east of the Seascape, to the Raja Ampat MPA Network in the west. In 2010, a government decree designated Raja Ampat as a shark and ray sanctuary, the first of its kind in the Coral Triangle. Efforts to build MPA management capacity are ongoing, together with community engagement and outreach programs designed to maintain local communities’ support for conservation in the Seascape.

Since 2008, local universities, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have worked together to develop rigorous methods to monitor the ecological and social conditions of the BHS MPA network. The most recent scientific assessment of the status and trends of nine key ecological and social indicators across the BHS MPA Network was completed in 2016. Indicators studied include standard scientific measurements of coral reef ecosystem health, marine fisheries, and human well-being (including economic well-being, health, empowerment, education, and culture). At the same time, the report also documents the management status and marine resource governance in each MPA. To view the report, see below:

2016 State of the Bird's Head Seascape Marine Protected Area Network