Manta ray watching tourism in Eastern Indonesia: Is it sustainable?

Manta Ray Tourism

“…The annual report confirmed there were more than 50% of the annual tourists who joined manta ray tours. Previous studies from Hani et al [33,34] also confirmed the number of manta ray tourists in Raja Ampat and Nusa Penida show more than 50%.…”

The inclusion of fisheries and tourism in marine protected areas to support conservation in Indonesia

“…With the intention of mitigating negative impacts of tourist visits on MPAs, initiatives should be built together with stakeholders. Selat Dampier MPA within Raja Ampat (West Papua) introduced codes of conduct in an attempt to control growing tourist visits [103]. To enforce these regulations, a ranger station was established in the popular dive area of Manta Sandy in 2017 as part of collaborative management between NGOs, tourism operators, and local government and villages [103].…”

“…Selat Dampier MPA within Raja Ampat (West Papua) introduced codes of conduct in an attempt to control growing tourist visits [103]. To enforce these regulations, a ranger station was established in the popular dive area of Manta Sandy in 2017 as part of collaborative management between NGOs, tourism operators, and local government and villages [103]. The station ensured that tourists and operators were adhering to codes of conduct such as tourist volumes, and any violations of the regulations resulted in sanctions [103], providing an example of the opportunities available for diverse governance and management in Indonesian MPAs.…”

“…To enforce these regulations, a ranger station was established in the popular dive area of Manta Sandy in 2017 as part of collaborative management between NGOs, tourism operators, and local government and villages [103]. The station ensured that tourists and operators were adhering to codes of conduct such as tourist volumes, and any violations of the regulations resulted in sanctions [103], providing an example of the opportunities available for diverse governance and management in Indonesian MPAs. However, where diverse governance and management is proposed for MPAs, care must be taken to ensure that actions are in the best collective interest of the stakeholders [104].…”

Tourist Traps: Assessing the Role of Tourism in Sustaining Life Below Water

“…This leakage of tourism revenue away from MPAs is further reinforced by the case of Nusa Penida. While famous for its manta ray populations, a recent study by Hani et al (2019) reported only one of the dive tourism operators was actually locally owned. The majority of companies were located outside of the park (Yunitawati and Clifton 2019), with this disconnect potentially contributing to a lack of environmental stewardship and ownership limiting buy-in towards the MPA.…”