Home
About Yk-RASI
Mahakam Activities
Coastal Activities
Ecotourism
Living
Lakes
Publications/
Videos
News...!!!
RASI
receives 2015 continuation funding after winning the 2013 Whitley Award
Eco-research volunteer opportunity in turtle & cetacean conservation project in Berau
Volunteer experience of Jacquelin 'Joko' in Sangkuliman village
Mahakam Dolphin Trip with latest info
for increased dolphin encounters!
|
Conservation
and diversity of cetaceans within a new potential MPA in East Kalimantan,
Indonesia
A
series of six cetacean monitoring surveys were conducted
in the coastal waters off Bontang and East Kutai
District, East Kalimantan, Indonesia,
between 2009 and 2012
covering
a distance of
3433 km of on effort searching.
These surveys were conducted in response to the fact that the assessment
of cetacean species in Indonesia was described as a priority project within
the “IUCN 2002-2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World’s Cetaceans”
and the target of the National Fisheries Department to expand its Marine
Protected Areas (MPA) in Indonesia with two million hectares between 2010
and 2014.
Ninety-eight
cetacean
sightings with positive species identification were made of
fourteen
different
cetacean
species
and additional sightings of dugongs and whale sharks
including dolphin species
Stenella
longirostris, Stenella l. roseiventris, Stenella attenuata,
Stenella coeruleoalba,
Tursiops aduncus,
Tursiops truncatus, Grampus griseus, Orcaella brevirostris,
two small
whale species Peponocephala electra,
Feresa attenuata,
as well as the
medium-sized whale
Pseudorca
crassidens and
Ziphius
cavirostris
and the
large whale species
Physeter macrocephalus
and
Balaenoptera physalus,
which latter species has become very rare in the Southern Hemisphere and
endangered but according to local residents daily occur from November to
May in the coastal area
East Kutai and Bontang district
indicating the importance of this area.
Threats include fish depletion because of reef destruction through bombing
and fishing with poisonous compounds as well as direct catch and kill of
dolphins by non-resident fishermen for oil and shark bait.
An isolated case of whale killing occured in August 2010 off Bontang of a
juvenile humpback whale,
Megaptera
novaeangliae.
Because of the isolation of the area where most whales and dolphins were
observed, i.e. from Tanjung Magkalihat to Miang Island, we propose to
extend the Marine Protected Area of Berau to this area
South
of and including the Mangkalihat Peninsula until Miang Island or Bontang
with 500m depth cline to the shore. These
areas should have special attention in terms of law-enforcement of
destructive and unsustainable fishing techniques, i.e. bombing, fishing
with poison, trawling. Patrolling in this area should be intensified to
prevent these illegal fishing techniques and any further illegal attempts
to kill cetaceans.
The current fin whale observations and the occurrence of humpback whales
in this area, requiring further study about their seasonal or year-round
distribution patterns.
Local awareness should be
regularly
increased and fishermen should be facilitated to engage in sustainable
fishing practices and/or seaweed culturing. There is a good potential for
ecotourism through responsible forms of dolphin and whale watching, which
may benefit isolated
areas with mostly poor fishing communities
such as
Miang Island, which is now being proposed to be conversed into a coal
stock pile and coal terminal that will deplete local fish resources
through mangrove and coral reef destruction and run-off pollution.
Technical Report 2012....PDF)
   
Initial discussions with government departements in East Kutai
District were conducted in May 2013 to present the results and proposal
for protected area. The idea was well received and will be followed up. An
environmental assessment report was submitted to the Provincial
Environmental Department to preserve Miang Island and prevent the coal
storage on this island.
← Back Next →
|