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 habitat 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 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.
UPDATE June 2010 - As of June 2010 in both Ujung Sialit and Teluk Nibung the land has been purchased and clearing has begun. The project leader reports that the communities are very eager to get started and the protected areas are well established through the presence of the community surveillance teams. As evidence that the surveillance is working, a ship from Sibolga using bombs for dynamite fishing was apprehended; the boat was escorted back to Sibolga and the crew was taken to court. Additionally, an attempt to cut trees on the northern shore of Tuangku was stopped, but unfortunately the perpetrators managed to escape. By their own initiative a group of fisherman from Pulau Balai and Teluk Nibung developed a new fishing method, called “Tuasan” (otherwise known as a fish aggregation device), which is now becoming popular and many fishermen have doubled their incomes; in this way the reefs and its fish are left alone and the fishermen catch more deep sea fish. At the same time they have become anti-poison, complain about plastic rubbish from big boats and are more interested in environmental problems. Fishermen in other villages are becoming interested and the fisheries department has now contributed a number of tuasans, with an additional 100 more tuasans being supplied by money from a Multi Donor Fund.
UPDATE January 2011 - According to project leader Mahmud Bangkaru, the soccer field in Teluk Nibung is 90 percent complete, and will be ready by the end of November 2010. The soccer field at Ujung Sialit is about 70 percent complete; the project is somewhat behind due to heavy rains. Suka Makmur has purchased sand, stone, cement and equipment for their village rain gutters. Pulau Balai has purchased all materials, and work on the youth meeting hall has begun.
UPDATE June 2011 - According to project leader Mahmud Bangkaru, the work on Suka Makmur’s rain gutters is 77 percent finished. It goes forward, but a bit slowly as the community has had problems getting in materials, as they depend on weather and the availability of boats. In Palau Balai the community hall is 87 percent finished. The village has decided, as earlier reported, to add their own money to the project to complete it. In Ujung Sialit, the work is estimated to be at 87 percent. The soccer field is still being improved by flattening it and adding soil. However, it is good enough to use. They have already used the field and have already played friendly games with other villages. The enthusiasm for the field is very high. In Teluk Nibung, the field is already finished and is in use. The community in Teluk Nibung has a strong feeling of togetherness. They take this project very seriously and they have initiated enlargement of the protected areas. The head of Dinas Keluatan and Perikanan (Department of Oceans and Fisheries) has been very happy with the Seacology program and extends his thanks. They have programs that will strengthen the areas and make them bigger. The fishermen of Teluk Nibung and Pulau Balai have already decided to enlarge their areas.
*Support for asterisked projects is provided fully or in part by: 
