INDONESIA, Pulau Banyak Islands, North Sumatra - January 2009
Soccer fields for Teluk Nibung Village and Ujung Sialit Village, community meeting hall for Pulau Balai Village, and storm gutters for Suka Makmur Village in exchange for a total of 1,924 acres of protected land and marine habits for a duration of 10 years
Click photo to enlarge
Pulau Banyak ("Many Islands") is a cluster of about 40 islands located 4.5 hours by boat off the western coast of North Sumatra in the special autonomous region of Aceh. The islands support a population of 7,000 people, all of whom live within seven villages on only three of the islands. Four of the seven villages in Pulau Banyak propose the creation of no-take areas in their respective jurisdictions, which will be regulated by Hukum Adat Kampong (village traditional law). In Desa Teluk Nibung Seacology will fund a soccer field in exchange for protection of 1,008 acres of coral reef and 12 acres of forest for a duration of 10 years; in Desa Pulai Balai, Seacology will fund reconstruction of village youth meeting hall in exchange for protection of 217 acres of coral reef and five acres of adjoining land for a duration of 10 years; in Desa Suka Makmur Seacology will fund concrete gutters in exchange for protection of 94 acres of forest, 106 acres of mangrove forest and 114 acres of marine area; and in Desa Ujung Sialit, Seacology will fund a soccer field in exchange for protection of 326 acres of coral and seagrass, and 42 acres of mangrove forest.
UPDATE June 2009 - As of February 2009 field representative Arnaz Mehta began working on coordinating completion of the pre-grant documentation and planning phases for the projects. As of April 2009 Arnaz reports from Pulau Banyak that in June the fisheries authority is going to have meetings to set up local groups to help protect the corals. The pre-grant documentation will be completed at that time.
UPDATE October 2009 - As of October 2009 the project contact reports that the land in Ujung Sialit has been purchased for less than anticipated. The situation in Teluk Nibung is the opposite; the land is now more expensive than expected. However, the community through the youth organization has agreed to work for free in order to stay within the allotted budget. All four villages have established, through the Fisheries Department, community watch groups called POKWASMAS (Kelompok Pengawasan Masyarakat). These groups are formed by the fishermen and will help look after the no-take zones.
