Carrying Capacity of Diving Tourism in Dampier Strait Marine Conservation Area – District of Raja Ampat

Abstract

Raja Ampat has biodiversity in marine waters so it qualifies as a conservation area as well as a tourism destination. The number of tourist visits to this area has increased significantly, from 998 people in 2007 to 29,653 people in 2016. Increasing number of tourists have become a threat if the behavior of tourist are not concerned on the environment sustainability and damage the attractions for diving. Assessment of the carrying capacity of the area becomes an important factor to know for sure the maximum number of visitors that can be accommodated by the region at any given time without causing disturbance to the environment and human. The study was conducted from September 2015 to August 2016. Data collection of dive sites was conducted by measuring the extent of coral reefs, coral slope, coral reef condition, and water depth. Calculation of carrying capacity used is Physical Carrying Capacity (PCC) and Real Carrying Capacity (RCC). There are 15 main dive sites frequented by divers. The number of people allowed to dive based on physical carrying capacity ranges from 20 to 500 diver/day, for Actual carrying capacity (RCC) of 14 - 335 diver/day. Locations that have the lowest carrying capacity on The Passage site and highest on the Melissa Garden site. The process of integrating dive attractions with other tours and monitoring of travel activities is a key factor in the sustainability of Raja Ampat regency tourism.

Highly diverse mesophotic reef fish communities in Raja Ampat, West Papua

“…Tourism could also play a role in lower fish abundance closer to Sorong. Dampier MPA is subject to high and increasing reef tourism (Spalding et al 2017;Papilaya et al 2019). During the period 2012-2016, many residents in Dampier shifted primary occupation from wild capture fisheries to wage labor (believed to be tourism related), which was accompanied by a decline in the number of households fishing regularly (Claborn et al 2017).…”

The Bird's Head Seascape Marine Protected Area network—Preventing biodiversity and ecosystem service loss amidst rapid change in Papua, Indonesia

“…International and domestic tourists are driving demand for facilities such as liveaboard dive boats, resorts, and home stays, as well as broader infrastructure needed to support tourism. With tourism comes substantial revenue for the local economy (Atmodjo, Lamers, & Mol, 2017); however, there is increasing pressure on coastal ecosystems including: (a) high volumes of divers on coral reefs that can cause physical reef damage; (b) anchor damage from boats mooring over sensitive habitats; (c) increased fisheries demand for consumption by tourists; and (d) pollution and nutrient releases caused lack of infrastructure and poor waste management practices (Papilaya, Boli, & Nikijuluw, 2019).…”

Survei Hidro-Oseanografi Di Perairan Raja Ampat, Papua Barat, Indonesia

“…Hukom et al (2018) memprediksi bahwa terdapat sekitar 474 spesies ikan terumbu karang, 456 spesies terumbu keras (hard coral), dan juga 699 spesies moluska di wilayah tersebut. Disamping itu, wilayah ini juga merupakan titik konsentrasi dari habitat Cetacea seperti ikan paus, dan spesies lain seperti penyu, hiu, dugong, dan lumbalumba (Papilaya et al, 2019). Priatna & Sadhotomo (2011) juga menyebutkan bahwa gugusan terumbu karang di wilayah tersebut juga berpengaruh pada ekosistem ikanikan pelagis.…”

“…Priatna & Sadhotomo (2011) juga menyebutkan bahwa gugusan terumbu karang di wilayah tersebut juga berpengaruh pada ekosistem ikanikan pelagis. Keanekaragam ekosistem yang lain juga terdapat di wilayah tersebut seperti padang lamun, hutan mangrove, dan pantaipantai tebing berbatu (Papilaya et al, 2019). Secara oseanografi dan biogeografi, Donnelly et al (2003) menjelaskan bahwa wilayah kepulauan Raja Ampat terletak pada batas barat wilayah Samudra Pasifik di khatulistiwa dan pada jalur masuk timur laut "Indonesian Throughflow"dari Samudra Pasifik ke Samudra Hindia sehingga menarik untuk dijadikan kajian ilmiah.…”

“…Dari beberapa pilihan kegiatan wisata, kegiatan penyelaman merupakan kegiatan utama wisatawan di kawasan Raja Ampat. Papilaya et al (2019) menemukan sedikitnya ada 15 lokasi penyelaman yang terkenal bagi wisatawan dengan jumlah penyelam berkisar antara 20 -500 penyelam per hari. Ditambah lagi kegiatankegiatan wisata lain di wilayah tersebut menyebabkan adanya potensi wisata dan pembangunan yang harus ditingkatkan di kepulauan Raja Ampat.…”