3/31/2009

TERM PAPER

Komodo National Park

Natural ecosystems are a vital component of the worlds overall wellbeing. Various ecosystems consist of delicate and influential species that interact with each other to sustain the individual ecosystem but as well are linked to the sustainability of earth. I have taken this essay as a chance to focus my attention on the integral preservation of parks that have distinct species in them which they revolve their management resources around. I have chosen to do the Indonesian park Komodo National Park(KNP), which is home to the largest and one of the only population of Komodo Dragons, but as well as various other species which are integral to the natural ecosystem that the park consists of. Description of Komodo National Park KNP is located near the Lesser Sunda Islands in the board region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tengara. The park has a number of various island chains of which there are three distinct large islands: Komodo, Rinca and Pada. These islands are distinct in that they are chains of volcanic islands situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire; where there is a high volume of volcanic activityi.

The parks inaugural year was in 1980, when the Indonesian government set forth the initiative of establishing the park in order to conserve the habitat and the Komodo dragon species. In time the park management realized that the Komodo dragon was not the only specie in the park that required management attention to be focused on it. In time the goals of the park encompassed the entire biodiversity, both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. With the change in the parks overall goal, it was in 1986 that the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) World Heritage division, took notice of the park and declared the park to be a World Heritage site as well as a Man and Biosphere reserveii. This indicated not only was the park significant to the Indonesian government but as well to the United Nations objective of global biodiversity and preservation.

Features of the park: The biosphere which KNP is situated in is extensive in its biological features. The park is situated in an equatorial region of the world that is unique like no other, with a transition zone positioned between the Lesser Sunda Islands chain. This creates an exchange between marine flora and faunas from the Indian Ocean (Asia) as well as the Pacific Ocean (Australia)iii.

With the park being situated along a transition zone, the vegetation is vast from open grass woodland savannas too tropical deciduous (monsoon) forest. All of this is contrasted with white sandy beaches and coral reef rich waters. The parks climate is the same as the general area of Indonesia, with long dry season, high temperate and low rainfall, but at the same time is impacted by seasonal monsoon rainsiv. These varying climate conditions present favourable conditions for a variety of species which ultimately call KNP their home.

The Komodo dragon calls this area of the world, more specifically KNP, as its natural environment. There are roughly 5,700 Komodo dragons; which are correctly identified as large lizards. The primary purpose of the creation of the park in 1980 was to ensure the preservation of this specie of lizard; but in time the orange-footed scrub fowl, endemic rat, Timor deer, dolphins, sea turtles, 1,000 species of fish( sharks, manta rays, 14 species of whales), 60 species of reefbuilding coral, and 70 species of spongesv; were seen to have the same importance, possibly greater then the Komodo dragon. So in time the parks management integrated these species into there overall objective and preservation initiatives. Management Objectives: The various issues that KNP has to take into consideration when managing the park have significantly become an integral part of Indonesias overall government initiative for preservation of key ecosystems; this being one. From the parks first initiatives as a study area for the theory of evolution, the park has changed its initiatives in accordance to its species. Management objectives of KNP are not only concentrated on the protection of biodiversity, but also to conserve spawning stocks of high-valued commercial species for the establishment of a sustainable level of fish to replenish the surrounding fishing grounds.

The challenges that the park faces, are to reduce both the terrestrial threats, as well as the threats towards its abundant coastal marine resources, while avoiding conflicts between stakeholders. A substantial portion of the economic profit that the park obtains annually comes from tourism activities such as diving. Ensuring that these resources are sustained to their highest value is a large part of the management initiatives set forth by the park. Management programmes are professionalising existing tourism services and developing new tourism products, such as aquatic nature trailsvi, in order to foster awareness in areas of the park that are severely threatened by a range of destructive practices.

As well the management objectives of KNP have to take into account the criteria set out by the World Heritage organization in regards to their declaration of KNP as a world heritage site. KNP fell under the criteria of being a park that; contains superlatives natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance (vii), while containing the most important and significant natural habitats of in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation(x)vii

With KNP falling under both the cultural criteria (vii) as well as natural criteria (x) set out by the World Heritage conservations body, they have had to set priorities not just al the national level but as well for the UNs initiative of preservation. With international recognition, the park has had to enforce strict management initiatives at the international level in order to attain funding from the World Heritage organization. It has increased its ability to preserve its distinct ecosystem. Conflicts in Komodo National Park: At the parks establishment in 1980, the main management focus was on the preservation of the Komodo dragon but in time attention was place on the preservation of the rest of the species in the park, specifically the preservation of the coral reefs that followed the parks

shorelines. These coral reefs are home to thousands of species of fish and had been devastated by the local economies desire for these exotic fish species that called the coral reefs their home.

The amount of destruction which is forced on the coral reefs is of great concern to the management objectives set out by the park. Fishing in this area has evolved and is no more about the basic lure and worm but instead bombs and dynamite. Blasting fish is one new wave of fishing that fisher men in Indonesia have taken too. Instead of hooking a fish, they instead use chemical fertilizers and create a charged explosive. These explosives are dropped into the reef area where they explode, and then a diving fisherman enters the water to collect the fish, which have either been killed or stunned by the shock wave from the explosionviii. A favourite of the fisher men in this area is to make a beer bomb (mixture of chemical fertilizers), which will shatter an area of coral 5 meters in diameter. On average this practice amounts to considerable cost, on average $100,000 per/ km2 is put towards protection of the coral reefs. To this point, there has been a loss of 85,000 km2 of coral reefs, which has amounted to a total loss of US$ 8.5 billion dollarsix in practices oriented towards preservation of the coral.

As well as the use of explosives for illegal fishing the industry has developed the use of cyanide injection. Cyanide fishing is used to stun the fish in order to prevent the death of valued exotic fish. The concentration of this dissolved poison is not meant to kill the fish but instead tranquilize it, in order to capture them. A diver uses a compressor-hose and descends 10-40 meters until the targeted fish is spotted, where then the diver chases the fish into a crevice and squirts cyanide into the holex. When the fish is enabling to function normally, the diver breaks away the coral from the hole, and grabs the fish and brings it up to the surface. This results in the fish being acquired while not being destroyed, in the end sustaining the value of the fish.

With all of this being said the acquisition of exotic fish is an integral part of the economy of Indonesia. Indonesia alone supplies the exotic fish market as well as wild-caught live fish market with 50 % of the volume. This alone provides major incentives for illegal fishing to take place along the cost of Komodo National Park. The live fish trade market is a significant source of three of the major threats (cyanide fishing, over fishing of adult and depletion of juvenile fishxi) to the marine biodiversity in the park.

Stakeholders: With the amount of destruction which has taken place in KNP, there is no question that there are significant groups within the park who have been negatively influenced by these actions. Of course one of the most significant stakeholders of KNP is the park itself. If the devastation of the park passes a certain threshold, the park will be limited in available activities that visitors can participate in; resulting in economic loss. The park in itself is just one of the most valued stakeholders, but within the park there is a stakeholder group who is vulnerable to the destruction of the parks ecosystem.

Do to the large amount of Komodo dragon lizards which are present in the park, there is an on going research program occurring. This scientific effort that is being done in the park analyses these large lizards, collecting data from research done on them over time. The data which is collected helps to develop a relationship between the komodo dragons and evolutionxii.

There is a significant local population within the park as well as close to the boarders of the national park. In 2004 there was an estimated population of 3,500 living within the park, but as well there is a population of 16,500 living in the near by surrounding fishing villages. Incredibly the fishing village population has increased six folds since the 1980sxiii, mainly from other near by islands. These communities depend heavily upon the marine ecosystem not only for food but as well for economic purposes. If there is a significant depletion in the marine ecosystem then there will be a simultaneous decrease in the wellbeing of these communities. Management then has to take into account that these communities depend on the parks resources for their sustained wellbeing.

Possible solutions to the conflicts at hand: The solutions which have been taken by the stakeholders involved with the operations of the park have resulted in cross sector effort. This has meant that park authorities, police, fisheries

services, the army, the navy, legislative bodies and local communities; have grouped up in order to comate the problems that the park faces. Currently action is being taken by the nature conservancy employs and enforcement coordinator who organizes patrols of the park (local park rangers, the navy and the police).

These patrols go out once a week for two day periods and cover the full area of the park. There is as well done by foot patrol for the terrestrial area. The results of the partials have been seen since its inception into the parks management in 1995; blasting fish has declined by more than 8%xiv.There has also been a proposition to implement a floating patrol station. This station would be placed in the most vulnerable areas, patrolled by those organized patrols.

In conclusion: Komodo National Park should be named Komodo dragon and Coral Reef Preservation Park. There is a large area of coral reef ecosystem present in the constraints of the park which are susceptible to a vast array of illegal fishing practices. The United Nations has shown interest in KNP, through the use of the World Heritage organizations. This has presented ample amount of attention towards the park, which has come in the form of funding as well as other resources.

In result of a large amount of illegal activity which is done by the fisheries industry on the coral reefs, there has been considerable attention taken towards its initiatives which have been taken to protect these vulnerable areas. The coral reef system is an integral part of the parks biological diversity and the sustainability of its lush variety of species, both marine and terrestrial. In order to preserve the parks biodiversity action has to be taken to preserve the dwindling amount of coral reefs which will provide favourable conditions for the rest of the species evident in the park, terrestrial or marine.

About the Park. 4 April 2007. 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.komodonationalpark.org/aboutthepark.htm> "Komodo National Park: Indonesia." United Nations Environment Programme and World Conservation Monitoring Centre. (1991). 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/pdf/Komodo.pdf>. About the Park. 4 April 2007. 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.komodonationalpark.org/aboutthepark.htm>

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About the Park. 4 April 2007. 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.komodonationalpark.org/aboutthepark.htm> About the Park. 4 April 2007. 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.komodonationalpark.org/aboutthepark.htm> Robinson, H. "Komodo National Park: progress and problems." Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology. vol.6, 2001 160166. 30 Mar 2009. <http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=80057>. Komodo National Park. 24 October 2008. 28 March 2009 <http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/609>. Threats. 4 April 2007. 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.komodonationalpark.org/threats.htm>

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Threats. 4 April 2007. 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.komodonationalpark.org/threats.htm> Cesar, M. "Cyanide fishing on Indonesian coral reefs for the live food fish market - what is the problem?" Status of Coral Reefs of the World. Vol.12004 20-27. 30 Mar 2009. Pet, J. "Fishing practices in Komodo National Park: Ban the hookah compressor!" Secretariat of the Pacific Community Live Reef Fish. Information Bull vol. 4, 1999 17-28. 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.coraltrianglecenter.org/downloads/Mous%20et%20al%202000.pdf> "Those Influenced." United Nations Environment Programme and World Conservation Monitoring Centre. (1991). 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/pdf/Komodo.pdf>. "Those Influenced." United Nations Environment Programme and World Conservation Monitoring Centre. (1991). 30 Mar 2009. <http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/pdf/Komodo.pdf>. Conservation. 4 April 2007. 27 March 2009. <http://www.komodonationalpark.org/index.htm>.

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