Ecological status of target fishes inside and outside marine conservation area of Batbitim, Misool, Raja Ampat

Abstract

Batbitim marine conservation area (MCA) of Misool, Raja Ampat has been set as an area that is prohibited for fishing activities since 2005. The only activities allowed in that area are tourism and research activities. The difference in the management status between area inside the Batbitim MCA and outside the MCA might affect ecosystem components such as fish and coral reef in the respective area. The present study aims to investigate the ecological status of target fishes in the two areas. Data were collected by using an underwater visual census at 5 sites, in which at each site 3 transects were placed. Collected data are then used to assess ecological indices for the target fishes. It is found that there were 38 species of target fish belonging to 13 families. The diversity index of Shannon was found to be in the range between 0.99 (inside MCA) to 1.67 (outside MCA) and dominance index ranged between 0.26 (outside MCA) and 0.61(inside MCA). The abundance of individual target fish in each location varies between 960 ind ha−1 (outside MCA) and 9413 ind.ha−1 (inside MCA). Those results indicate that there is a discrepancy between the ecological status of the target fish at locations inside and outside the MCA.

Tropical marine fish from Celukan Bawang Port, Buleleng, Bali, Indonesia

“…In Batbitim Misool, Papua concluded that outside marine conservation areas had higher fish diversity than inside areas. The inside area had a higher coral cover which provided protection and feeding place to certain fishes, so it might be possible that there were dominant species [19]. In this research, even though there was disturbance like port activities, it does not support the dominance of one or more species.…”

“…Tropical marine fish could be differentiated into three groups: target species, indicator species, and; major species. Target species is a group of fish which are targeted by fisherman such us Acanthuridae, Haemulidae, Caesionidae, Nemipteridae, Serranidae, Scaridae, Labridae, Lethrinidae, Lutjanidae, Siganidae[19]. Indicator species are a functional group of fish that indicate coral health, like the Chaetodontidae family.…”

Marine reserves and resilience in the era of COVID-19

“…Top-down state governance is required in order to legally recognize MPAs in many countries. However, in some instances, the pandemic has revealed the importance of devolved governance to both local communities and private enterprises: community patrollers have allowed park officials to concentrate on enforcement in distant areas, while the Misool Eco Resort in Indonesia, funded by tourism and private donors, has maintained a critical no-take zone that has seen a 250% biomass increase over the past decade [36]. With community and private sector buy-in, MPAs can be made more resilient and effective in deterring illegal and outside fishing.…”

“…Studies indicated that reduced visitors improved ecosystem health in the short term, emphasizing the importance of careful spatial planning that accounts for social equity and access to protected areas [22]. Furthermore, many private foundations and trust funds were able to supply emergency funding for MPAs, but more innovative funding solutions such as conservation trust funds, "blue" bonds, and payments for ecosystem services are necessary in the future [4,36]. This will engage protected area decision makers in a complex discussion around trade-offs, that must be approached with a political and social lens, understanding who gains and who benefits from different sources of financing [39].…”

“…The Galápagos Biosecurity Agency, for instance, shifted its focus from preventing invasive species to conducting COVID-19 testing [33]. This is perhaps an early indication of a shift in how MPAs are valued and designed: shifting from a "visitor economy" to "resident economy", with everything being assessed "through the lens of health" and general resident well-being [19,36,39].…”