Kamis, 11 Desember 2008

Klungkung Susun Kawasan Konservasi Laut Nusa Penida

Oleh Luh De Suriyani
Pemerintah Kabupaten Klungkung tengah menyusun konsep cetak biru Kawasan Konservasi Laut (KKL) di sekitar perairan Nusa Penida, sebuah pulau di selatan Pulau Bali ini. Jika KKL terwujud, diharapkan mengurangi pencurian ikan, konservasi terumbu karang, peningkatan kualitas wisata bahari, dan pemberdayaan masyarakat setempat.

Hal ini dibahas dalam workshop soal pembentukan KKL oleh sejumlah stakeholder Kabupaten Klungkung, yang mewilayahi Nusa Penida, Rabu (10/9) lalu. Difasilitasi The Nature Conservacy (TNC), NGO yang bergerak di bidang lingkungan, sejumlah pejabat Klungkung dari Dinas Lingkungan Hidup, Badan Pembangunan Daerah (Bapeda), Kecamatan Nusa Penida, dan lainnya menggali potensi Nusa Penida sebagai kawasan konservasi laut.

Selama ini diakui pemerintah daerah, Nusa Penida belum mempunyai konsep pengelolaan perairan yang integral. ”Selama ini kegiatan dilakukan parsial saja. Melihat perkembangan wisata yang makin tinggi dan permasalahan penangkapan ikan berlebihan, maka kawasan konservasi laut sangat penting,” ujar Anak Agung Ngurah Kirana, Kepala Bidang Ekonomi Bapeda Klungkung.

Kawasan Konservasi Laut (KKL) telah terbukti menjadi alat yang efektif untuk perlindungan keragaman hayati laut dan pengelolaan pemanfaatan sumberdaya yang lestari, khususnya untuk perikanan dan pariwisata. Keberhasilan pengelolaan KKL juga berdampak nyata pada peningkatan kunjungan wisata yang berdampak langsung pada perekonomian lokal.

KKL tersusun dari beberapa zona peruntukkan dalam usaha mengakomodasi berbagai tingkatan pemanfaatan sumber daya di setiap zona. Zona larang-ambil (no-take zone), yang masih bisa dimanfaatkan untuk kegiatan pariwisata, memberikan perlindungan yang baik bagi sumbe rdaya ikan dan sangat diperlukan sebagai penyedia sumber ikan bagi daerah penangkapan di sekitarnya.

Zona ini juga memberikan perlindungan terhadap keanekaragaman sumberdaya hayati. Zona lainnya dalam KKL memungkinkan memperbolehkan pengambilan sumberdaya dengan alat yang tidak merusak habitat organisme laut dan melalui perijinan yang diatur dengan prinsip daya dukung sumberdaya.

Perairan Nusa Penida dinilai salah satu contoh lokasi yang sangat unik dan tepat untuk dijadikan Kawasan Konservasi Laut. Nusa Penida terletak pada batas barat-selatan segi-tiga karang dunia (Coral Triangle) yang sering diartikan sebagai pusat keanekaragaman sumber daya hayati laut di bumi.

”Keberadaan ikan mola-mola dan manta merupakan dua jenis keanekaragaman sumber daya hayati unik dan langka yang perlu mendapat penanganan serius. Ikan ini menjadi favorit para penyelam dunia dan sangat sulit dijumpai di perairan lain,” ungkap I Dewa Gede Raka Wiadnya, peneliti lingkungan TNC-Coral Triangle Center.

Sebagian besar pantai Nusa Penida dimanfaatkan sebagai ladang budi daya rumput laut yang pernah menjadi sumber utama mata pencaharian masyarakat setempat. Selain itu, kini Nusa Penida juga berkembang sebagai pusat kegiatan pariwisata pantai dan laut di Bali. Akomodasi dari berbagai kepentingan ini sangat sesuai untuk disatukan dalam bentuk perencanaan Kawasan Konservasi Laut untuk melindungi sumber mata pencaharian masyarakat.

Ancaman kerusakan lingkungan perairan Nusa Penida harus diselamatkan. I Dewa Gede Tegeh Menala, salah seorang tokoh masyarakat setempat mengatakan saat ini banyak kapal besar semacam pukat harimau yang menangkap ikan di perairan Nusa Penida. ”Nelayan kecil seperti saya kalah jauh karena mereka menggunakan jaring yang sangat besar dan ini yang membuat penangkapan ikan berlebihan,” ujarnya.

Akibatnya, menurut Tegeh, sebagian besar nelayan di lima desa daerah pesisir Nusa Penida yang berprofesi sebagai nelayan banyak terlilit hutang pada rentenir. Para rentenir kini mengikat nelayan kecil dengan menyediakan perahu, jaring, sampai bahan bakar perahu. ”Pendapatan nelayan kecil karena harga tangkapan pun diatur rentenir,” tambah Tegeh.
Ia berharap KKL ini segera dapat diwujudkan dengan landasan hukum yang kuat. ”Saya punya cita-cita mengembangkan koperasi nelayan agar bisa terlepas dari rentenir,” pinta warga asal Desa Batununggul, Nusa Penida ini.

Nusa Penida berdekatan dengan dua pulau kecil yakni Nusa Lembongan dan Nusa Ceningan yang juga ramai dikunjungi turis. Banyak kapal pesiar kecil yang memanfaatkan potensi bahari perairan ini seperti Quick Silver, Bali Hai, dan Bounty Cruise. Ironisnya, Nusa Penida masih dianggap daerah miskin dan banyak warganya yang bekerja di luar daerah. Pertanian dan perkebunan setempat hanya mengandalkan tadah hujan karena kesulitan pasokan air.

Dengan dasar hukum UU No. 5/1990, pemerintah Indonesia telah menetapkan dan mengelola luas total KKL mencapai sekitar 5,6 juta ha. Pemerintah melalui Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan bahkan menyatakan keinginan untuk menambah luas KKL di Indonesia mencapai 10 juta ha pada tahun 2010 dan 20 juta ha pada tahun 2020. [b]

Senin, 08 Desember 2008

Saving Nusa Penida’s Underwater Paradise

by Marthen Welly
The Coral Triangle is known as the global centre of marine biodiversity and one of the world’s top priorities for marine conservation. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are recognised as Coral Triangle countries. The area is home to over 600 reefbuilding coral species, or 75 percent of all species known to science, and more than 3, 000 species of reef fish. The coral triangle covers 5.7 million sq km, equivalent to half the area of the United States.

Within the Coral Triangle, 120 million people depend directly upon coral reefs for food and income, which is the basic reason why The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is working with a range of partners to protect the coastal and marine ecosystems of this vast area by addressing key threats, such as over-fishing, destructive fishing, and mass coral bleaching as a result of global warming.

Marine Protected Areas
TNC is working to transform marine conservation in the Coral Triangle by establishing large-scale networks of marineprotected areas (MPAs) that can survive global change and human threats.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines MPAs as: ‘Areas of tidal or subtidal terrain, together with their overlying waters and associated flora, fauna and historical and cultural features, which have been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.’ In addition to protecting biodiversity, MPAs provide benefits for commercial fisheries and for nature-based tourism.

A Centre of Excellence
Since 2000, as a centre of excellence on designing and implementing well-managed MPAs within the Coral Triangle, TNC has been developing the Coral Triangle Centre (CTC) in Bali. The CTC will support TNC’s project sites with science, training, policies and financing, while promoting awareness of the need for establishing well-managed marine protected areas.

TNC-CTC is one of the key players in the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) that is supported by six coral triangle countries and the USA and Australia. The CTI is led by the Indonesian government under the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

TNC is working on project site conservation in Komodo, Wakatobi, Derawan, Raja Ampat, and the Savu Sea, all in Indonesia; Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea; and Arnovan Island of the Solomon Islands. This year, TNC has been expanding to new sites in Nusa Penida and Banda Island in Indonesia, and in East Timor.

Small Island Life
By speedboat from Sanur beach, it takes about 30 minutes to get to the beautiful islands of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan that lie southeast of Bali. Clear blue water and soft-white sand circling the green islands create a luminous picture that is sure to put you in a relaxed mood, but will also make you want to protect this beautiful paradise.

Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan are connected by a beautiful 200m yellow bridge that is called the ‘Golden Gate’ of Nusa Penida. In the afternoon, with the golden hues of sunset falling on the marvellous mangrove forest, the fishermen drift on this sensational sea of calm as they take their traditional wooden boats to sea. These islands are rich in Balinese culture. Ped temple on Nusa Penida is one of central temples for the islands, and Balinese from the main island come every year to pray at this temple.

Tourism facilities at Nusa Lembongan are well-developed with marine tourism activities, dive operators, seaview resorts and restaurants easy to find. The prices are reasonable with a wide affordable range. Several of them have good connections with boat cruises from Benoa Harbour on Bali.

Unforgettable Islands
The fresh winds, crystal water, and incredible marine life combined with the friendly people and their Balinese culture will transport you into a different environment, far from the crowded, noisy streets you¡¯ve come from.

You can rent a motorcycle to explore the islands, and by meeting the local people, you will learn how the islanders live with nature. At night, enjoy a fish barbeque with the sounds of the sea as background music and the bright stars glittering in the sky. A romantic candle-light dinner at a beach restaurant is another very attractive option.

Though Nusa Penida is separated from Bali, it is still accessible, easy to reach and offers comfortable facilities.

Nusa Penida Underwater
As part of the coral triangle, Nusa Penida has a complete marine ecosystem with a stunning coral reef, a healthy mangrove forest and a seagrass bed. One visit to Nusa Penida lets you experience a great deal of marine life.

Nusa Penida is one of the best diving sites in Bali and all of Indonesia. Unique and rare marine creatures such as manta rays, stingrays, sea turtles, dolphins and sharks are Penida’s underwater residents. Penida’s most phenomenal underwater creature is the oceanic sunfish - the ‘mola mola’.

The best time to dive at Nusa Penida and see the ‘molamola’ is between August and October. Divers from around the world come to Nusa Penida just to see the ‘mola-mola’, which can grow up to 3.3m in size.

The waters around Nusa Penida are also an important migratory route for Cetaceans in Indonesia. During certain seasons, schools of whales pass through the strait between Bali and Nusa Penida, as well as between Nusa Penida and Lombok. The Dugong has often been spotted off Nusa Lembongan.

As one of the best marine tourism destinations in Bali, Nusa Penida has more than 10 dive sites. Favourite Nusa Penida sites are Blue Corner, Manta Point, SD Ped, Crystal Bay, Segamat, Toyapakeh and Jack Point. Nusa Penida has more than 12sq kms of coral reef and 1/4 sq kms of mangrove forest. These marine ecosystems are vital and important to protect Nusa Penida’s beach as well as fisheries resources and marine tourism assets.

source : http://xlgroupblog.com/the-environment/saving-nusa-penidas-underwater-paradise

Senin, 22 September 2008

Nusa Penida marine conservation blueprint prepared

Luh De Suriyani , Contributor , Denpasar Sat, 09/13/2008 9:58 AM Bali

Klungkung regency administration is drawing up a blueprint for a marine conservation zone around Nusa Penida, an island south of Bali, to help tackle illegal fishing and prevent the destruction of coral reefs in the area. Preparation of the blueprint was discussed Wednesday in a workshop attended by a number of stakeholders, including activists from the Nature Conservancy and officials from the Klungkung Environment Office and Klungkung Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) and Nusa Penida district.

The discussion was considered long overdue because there has thus far been no integrated marine management concept in Nusa Penida. "(Marine) activities (in Nusa Penida) are currently conducted partially... But in line with rising interest in tourism development and coupled with problems of excessive fish exploitation, the idea of marine conservation in the area is becoming increasingly important," said Bappeda head Anak Agung Ngurah Kirana.

The marine conservation zone in Nusa Penida is expected to function as an effective tool to protect biodiversity and to enable sustainable management, especially for fishery and tourism purposes. The conservation zone is expected to consist of various levels of protection, including the introduction of a no-fishing area to protect existing breeding grounds for fish to supply nearby areas where fishing activities are allowed.

Another zone will allow the use of existing marine resources but only through the use of equipment which causes no damage to the marine habitat. The planned introduction of a marine conservation zone in Nusa Penida waters is considered unique and appropriate in that it is located on the southwest border of the world's Coral Triangle.

"The introduction of the conservation zone should have received serious attention, because the area constitutes the home of mola-mola and manta fish, two unique and endangered species which cannot be found elsewhere," said I Dewa Gede Raka Wiadnya, an environmental researcher at the TNC-Coral Triangle Center. The two types of fish, according he added, have become the favorites with divers.

Much of coastal Nusa Penida waters are used for seaweed cultivation, the main source of livelihood for many local residents. Now, however, Nusa Penida has rapidly changed into a center for marine tourism and beach attractions in Bali. Various issues are expected to be addressed in the conservation zone planning, including protecting the local source of livelihood.

I Dewa Gede Tegeh Menala, a prominent local figure, expressed concern over the operation of many trawlers in Nusa Penida waters, saying "Traditional fishermen are unable to compete with them." The result, he added, was predictable. Many fishermen have been forced to buy new boats and nets, and coupled with rising fuel prices, many have fallen victim to loan sharks.

"The fishermen's incomes remain low because the prices of their catches are usually set by the loan sharks," Tegeh said. He said he hoped the formation of the conservation zone would be realized as soon as possible. "I will develop cooperatives for the fishermen, to help them be independent of the loan sharks," he said.

Nusa Penida, which is located next to the two smaller islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, is visited by a large number of tourists. However, despite an increase in visitor numbers, Nusa Penida is still classified as a poor area. Agriculture there is fully dependent on the rains, with many residents abandoning this sector altogether.

source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/09/13/nusa-penida-marine-conservation-blueprint-prepared.html

Senin, 07 Juli 2008

Close up to conservation - Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida, off the island of Bali, is a particularly sensitive and beautiful area that is the natural environment for many diverse species of underwater life. Currently under the care of a Marine Protection Initiative headed by the Nature Conservancy Organisation, Nusa Penida is heralding a new generation of home grown, eco aware personnel who recognise not only the sensitivity of the marine environment, but also their own vulnerability. Their livelihoods depend on creating sustainable working relationships with the dive companies, fishermen and seaweed farmers.

Although Indonesia only covers 1.3% of the world’s land surface it is home to over 17% of the world’s plant and animal species. Some of these are found nowhere else in the world and many of them live beneath the surface of the seas. The waters around Nusa Penida hosts a kaleidoscope of living treasures from the largest known group of sea grasses to the spectacular Manta Rays and Mola Mola’s that live in the deeper water of the trenches between Peninda and Ceningan. The Mola Mola, or Tropical Sun Fish, is the symbol of Nusa Penida, a deepwater fish that can grow to two metres long with a fin span of up to four metres. Its name in German means ‘swimming head’ and when you see one you’ll know just why. There are other species, the chevron barracuda included, in the waters as well as moray eels and titan triggerfish.

Nusa Penida is the largest of a group of three islands located off the East Coast of Bali. It lies behind the slightly more populated island of Nusa Lembongan which has already become a marine playground where off shore pontoons dot the bay and host water slides and a proliferation of inflatable craft to speed thrill seekers across the surface of the sea. Nusa Penida is less populated, less developed and the reason for this may lie in the island’s history. Nusa Penida is believed to be the home of a Demon king, Jero Gede Macaling. Apparently a master of black magic he is reputed to be responsible for a number of natural disasters in the region.

The diving however is both safe and sensational; the deserted and calm beaches border the reef and most places are suitable for divers of all abilities, there are a couple of sites that are best taken by advanced divers due to the currents that rush between Nusa Lembonggan and Nusa Ceningan, these are Jurassic Point and Ceningan Pass.

According to the representative from the Coral Triangle Centre, Marthen Welly, dive companies are becoming wiser about the way they teach divers to treat the underwater environment, cautioning them against touching the coral, not just for their own protection from the scorpion fish and sea snakes but to protect the fragile coral. Coral is vulnerable to many destructive elements, over 88% of the coral in the Indonesian region is considered ‘at risk’. These risks include over fishing, the use of dynamite and the effects of climate change that brings about mass coral bleaching. When you think about the dependency the world has on coral this puts each accidental footstep into a different perspective. Globally over one billion people benefit from coral reefs, from the fish that depend on them for feeding and the related service industries associated with fish farming and tourism.

The work of the Bali based Coral Triangle Centre intends to establish marine protected areas that are designed to survive the challenges of human exploitation and disturbance as well as shifts in the climate. They also aim to provide benefit to the local fishing industry and nature based tourism, while protecting the biodiversity of the Nusa Penida area.

The Nature Conservancy works Indonesia wide. The Coral Triangle Centre (CTC) was established in 2000 with a mission to create a network of Marine Protection Areas. These areas are described by the CTC as ‘connected like a string of pearls across the Coral Triangle’. They work towards sustainable on-site preservation, with training in scientific and communicative skills, building a skilled workforce of managers and technicians to continue the work and pass it from generation to generation.

Another aspect of the Coral Triangle’s work is informing the general public of their projects, indeed it was a presentation by Marthen Welly to school students that brought the CTC to the attention of Villa and Yacht Magazine. With so much ‘bad’ news emerging from the environment movement it is delightful to see that here in Indonesia and Bali in particular that so many positive steps and meaningful actions are being taken to protect, preserve and promote the ongoing dynamic balance between man and the natural world.

For more information visit:http://www.coraltrianglecenter.org/ and http://www.nature.org/

source : http://www.villayacht.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=156&Itemid=16

Selasa, 03 Juni 2008

Menyelami Keindahan Nusa Penida

Oleh Marthen Welly – The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
Nusa Penida adalah nama yang tidak asing bagi para penyelam. Kecamatan yang terletak di tenggara pulau Bali ini, merupakan salah satu andalan tujuan wisata bahari kabupaten Klungkung. Jika menggunakan speed-boat Nusa Penida dapat dicapai sekitar 45 menit saja dari pantai Sanur atau pelabuhan Benoa. Terdapat pula transportasi reguler setiap hari dengan menggunakan perahu kayu dari Sanur menuju desa Jungut Batu dan Lembongan.

Perairan laut disekitar Nusa Penida memiliki keunikan pesona bawah laut. Salah satu keunikan yang dimiliki yaitu mola-mola (sunfish) selain terumbu karang yang berwarna-warni. Mola-mola merupakan ikan laut dalam yang muncul sekitar bulan Juli – November setiap tahunnya. Banyak penyelam baik dari mancanegara maupun Indonesia datang ke Nusa Penida khusus untuk menyaksikan hewan laut yang langka tersebut.

Kecamatan Nusa Penida sebenarnya terdiri dari tiga pulau yaitu Nusa Penida, Lembongan dan Ceningan. Para tour operator kerap menyebutnya sebagai three sister islands. Nusa Penida digunakan sebagai nama kecamatan yang menaungi ketiga pulau tersebut karena Nusa Penida merupakan pulau terbesar. Sementara Nusa Ceningan yang terletak diantara Nusa Lembongan dan Nusa Penida merupakan pulau terkecil. Luas total ketiga pulau tersebut sekitar 202 km2 dengan penduduk kurang lebih 1500 kk yang mendiami 16 desa dinas.

Terdapat beberapa site penyelaman di sekitar Penida dan Lembongan. Beberapa diantaranya seperti Poton Bali Hai, Jungut Batu, SD-Ped, Bodong-Ped,Toyopakeh, , Gamat Bay, Manta point, Blue Corner, Ceningan Wall dan Crystal Bay. Di sekitar Crystal Bay inilah kerap mola-mola dijumpai berkelompok antara 3-6 ekor. Mola-mola sendiri merupakan ikan yang unik berbentuk bulat-pipih dengan sirip yang panjang tanpa ekor. Sekilas terlihat seperti ikan yang terpotong dan hanya memiliki pertengahan badan hingga kepala. Ikan ini sangat jinak dan memiliki mata dan mulut yang jenaka.

Karena letaknya di selat antara Nusa Penida dan Nusa Ceningan, maka lokasi penyelaman tersebut memiliki arus yang lumayan kencang, sehingga tidak direkomendasikan bagi para penyelam pemula.Diujung barat pulau Nusa Lembongan, tepatnya desa Jungut Batu, terdapat hutan bakau (mangrove) yang terjaga dengan baik. Masyarakat setempat mengelolannya menjadi salah satu lokasi ekowisata. Paket mangrove tour dengan menggunakan perahu jukung sederhana yang dapat dinaiki maksimal 4 orang dikemas oleh masyarakat setempat. Jukung tersebut sengaja tidak menggunakan mesin agar tidak menimbulkan polusi suara dan air akibat minyak atau oli. Selain itu lebih bersahabat dengan alam. Perahu berjalan dengan menggunakan tolakan batang bambu yang cukup panjang oleh para guide. Perjalanan menyusuri hutan bakau sangat menyenangkan, sunyi tidak ada deru mesin, yang ada sesekali suara burung dan serangga yang hidup di hutan tersebut.

Masyarakat dan pemerintah setempat dibantu oleh The Nature Conservancy (TNC) sejak tahun 2003 telah menjalankan program-program pendidikan lingkungan dan penyuluhan mengenai konservasi laut di Nusa Penida, Lembongan dan Ceningan. Upaya konservasi sumberdaya hayati laut di ketiga pulau tersebut sangat penting untuk melindungi aset perikanan dan wisata bahari yang merupakan salah satu andalan matapencaharian masyarakat setempat selain rumput laut.

sumber : http://www.indonesiareef.com/?show=blog&id=72

Selasa, 27 Mei 2008

Tarian Eksotik Mola Mola di Nusa Penida

Oleh Marthen Welly - The Nature Conservancy
Tidak lama lagi perairan di sekitar Nusa Penida akan dipenuhi oleh para penyelam dari manca negara. Hal ini bukan karena ada event besar tertentu di Nusa Penida, tetapi karena musim mola-mola telah tiba. Diperkirakan Mola-mola sudah dapat terlihat diperairan Nusa Penida pada bulan Juni mendatang. Bahkan minggu lalu sudah ada penyelam yang melihat keberadaan mola-mola di sekitar crystal bay.

Laut disekitar Nusa Penida memang dikenal memiliki keanekaragaman hayati laut yang sangat menarik. Itu sebabnya, setiap tahun, puluhan ribu penyelam datang dari penjuru dunia untuk menikmati keindahan bawah laut Nusa Penida. Disamping terumbu karang yang berwarna-warni dengan aneka jenis ikan karang, perairan Nusa Penida juga rumah bagi hewan laut langka seperti pari manta (manta ray), penyu (sea turtle), paus dan lumba-lumba (cetacean).

Namun diantara semuanya itu, ikan mola-mola (oceanic sunfish) merupakan hewan laut yang fenomenal dan menjadi icon bagi dunia bawah laut Nusa Penida. Bentuknya yang unik, besar di bagian kepala dengan mata jenaka dan dua sirip yang menjulang seperti tanpa ekor sangat menarik bagi para penyelam. Terlebih ketika mola-mola mendongakan kepalanya dan merentangkan kedua siripnya seperti layaknya sedang melakukan tarian penyambutan bagi para penyelam.

Mola-mola kerap muncul di perairan Nusa Penida sekitar bulan Juli-Nopember setiap tahunnya. Dua titik penyelaman favorit dimana mola-mola biasa dijumpai yaitu Blue Corner dan Crystal Bay. Sering mola-mola dijumpai bergerombol 2 sampai 8 ekor. Namun beberapa penyelam mengatakan bahwa mereka juga sesekali melihat mola-mola di titik penyelaman yang lain pada bulan Desember atau Januari.

Tidak banyak penelitian yang telah dilakukan terhadap mola-mola sampai saat ini. Nama mola-mola sendiri berasal dari bahasa latin yaitu Molidae, karena mola-mola termasuk kedalam keluarga (family) Molidae. Mola-mola ini berada pada ordo yang sama dengan ikan buntal (boxfish) yaitu tetraondoniformes.

Mola-mola dapat dijumpai pada perairan dengan kedalaman 30 – 150 meter, bahkan 500 meter. Mola-mola juga disebut oceanic sunfish karena mola-mola kerap dijumpai “berjemur”di lautan terbuka yang dangkal untuk mendapatkan panas matahari sebagai adaptasi suhu tubuh setelah berada lama di perairan dalam. Keberadaan dan distribusi mola-mola juga dikaitkan dengan keberadaan makanan (nutrient) pada musim-musim tertentu.

Sejauh ini ada tiga jenis mola-mola yang telah ditemukan yaitu Sharp-tailed mola (Masturus lanceolatus) yang memiliki ekor agak panjang dan pipih, Slender mola (Ranzania laevis) yang memiliki ekor dan bentuk tubuh seperti silinder dengan ukuran badan beberapa puluh centimeter saja, dan Rountailed mola (Mola-mola) yang memiliki ekor membulat. Jenis yang terakhir inilah yang dijumpai di Nusa Penida.

Walaupun sangat menarik dan merupakan aset penting pariwisata bahari, keberadaan mola-mola bukan tanpa ancaman. Sering didapati, secara tak sengaja mola-mola mati akibat terjerat pancing dan jaring (by catch). Jumlah penyelam yang terlalu banyak, dan kadang “memaksa” untuk mengambil gambar bersama mola-mola dengan jarak yang terlalu dekat juga mengusik keberadaan mola-mola. Bahkan beberapa mola-mola dijumpai mati akibat menelan plastik yang mereka kira ubur-ubur sebagai makanannya.

Jika ingin pariwisata bahari di Bali, khususnya Nusa Penida dapat terus dipertahankan, diperlukan kerjasama berbagai pihak untuk mengatur pariwisata bahari di Nusa Penida sekaligus menjaga keberadaan mola-mola dan hewan laut lainnya.

Saat ini, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) bekerjasama dengan pemerintah Kabupaten Klungkung, masyarakat, pengusaha pariwisata dan mitra lainnya saat ini dalam proses awal membangun sebuah Kawasan Konservasi Laut (KKL) di Nusa Penida. Tujuan dari KKL ini adalah untuk melestarikan sumberdaya hayati laut Nusa Penida termasuk mola-mola. Pengaturan wisata bahari Nusa Penida melalui code of conduct akan merupakan bagian dari rencana pengelolaan (management plan) jangka panjang KKL Nusa Penida.Dengan KKL Nusa Penida, harapannya sumberdaya hayati laut termasuk mola-mola akan dapat terjaga dan pariwisata bahari dapat terus berkelanjutan yang merupakan salah satu sumber matapencaharian utama masyarakat Nusa Penida. Terlenih dari itu, para penyelam dari mancanegara dapat terus menikmati tarian eksotih mola-mola di perairan Nusa Penida.

source : http://netsains.com/2008/09/tarian-eksotik-mola-mola-di-nusa-penida/
source : http://www.indonesiareef.com/?show=blog&id=87

TNC to focus on Nusa Penida coral conservation

Irawaty Wardany , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar Wed, 01/30/2008 4:00 AM

The Indonesian chapter of the Nature Conservancy (TNC), a non-governmental environmental organization based in the U.S., has stated that the coral reef around Nusa Penida Island off Bali will be the focus of a new conservation program.

"Nusa Penida is part of the 75,000 square km of the coral triangle that lies in six countries: Indonesia, Philippine, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands," country director of TNC Rili Djohani told a conference in Sanur on Monday. She said the coral in the area was threatened by illegal fishing activities that use poison or explosives to kill
the fish.

"Around 120 million people depend on the fishing sector for their lives, therefore we should preserve the coral (as the home of the fish) from devastation," she said. She added that the TNC was looking forward to establishing a close cooperation with the government, private sectors and the local people in carrying out preservation efforts. "I hope next month we can gather all the stakeholders to discuss what should be done to preserve the coral in the area," she said.
Rili added that as an archipelagic country, Indonesia had a strategic position in global sea conservation efforts.

Program manager of the TNC's Coral Triangle Center Abdul Halim said that the conservancy had worked with some partners including the local government and people, universities and non-governmental organizations, to build sea conservation areas in Indonesia. "So far we have made sea conservation areas in Komodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara, Derawan Island in East Kalimantan, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi and Raja Ampat in West Papua," he said.

He added that they would start to establish conservation areas in three islands in Bali; Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. The three islands have a combined coral reef area of 13.01 square km and a 2.5 square km of mangrove forest.

Saleh Purwanto from Bali's Maritime and Fisheries Agency said that there were seven spots in Bali that were prone to coral devastation, the areas around Nusa Penida, Sanur, Menjangan, Tulamben and four others in Karangasem Regency area. "Those seven spots should be the focus of our monitoring program," he said, adding that the coral destruction was also caused by irresponsible tourism activities.

The three islands have gradually been transformed into tourism resorts in the past ten years while Sanur, Menjangan and Tulamben have seen intensive tourist activities for decades.
Unfortunately, he said, the agency could not monitor those areas optimally due to a lack of human resources and funding. "Therefore we need the involvement of the local communities in monitoring the activities around the areas," he said.

Ida Kade Arga from the Maritime and Fisheries Agency of Klungkung, the regency that oversees the three islands, said that the agency was currently educating the locals of Nusa Penida on alternative livelihoods. "We have conducted trainings for the processing of seaweed and other sea resources. Our primary aim is teaching them that fishing is not the only available source of income " he said. He pointed out that most of fishermen who conducted illegal fishing in Nusa Penida were not local people. "Local people in Nusa Penida have a high level of awareness on coral preservation already," he said.

I Wayan Suarbawa, one of the Nusa Lembongan's community leaders said that people in the island already knew the importance of protecting and preserving the coral reefs. "We realize that by preserving the coral reefs we will also preserve our asset of maritime tourism, which has become the main attraction of this island," he said.

source : thejakartapost.com