Komodo National Park, off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Flores, is no exception. Most famous for its namesake dragons, Komodo’s underwater world boasts strong currents that bring an explosion of marine biodiversity. Established in 1980, the park guidelines called for bans on the harvesting of terrestrial-based staple foods and restrictions on fishing to small “traditional use” zones. This created an increased reliance on destructive but effective fishing methods, such as bombs and cyanide, amongst locals to increase yields enough to support both subsistence and livelihood. Plans to create alternative employment in tourism went largely unimplemented, and foreigners or migrants from other parts of Indonesia dominate the industry.
I worked for a dive company that trained local youth to become dive guides as an attempt to create economic opportunity and promote conservation. While it positively altered the situations and perspectives of participants in the program, it lacked the large-scale coordinated effort with other tourism operators and park management officials needed to create widespread change. As illegal fishing and rapid development continued without the necessary infrastructure to support it, I feared that small-scale changes were no longer enough to save Komodo from the same environmental degradation seen in neighboring Bali.
When I traveled to Raja Ampat, West Papua to establish the same project at the company’s other location, I found the story to be drastically different. Here, conservation and tourism pioneers in the region had seen the importance of involving local communities, making the effort to educate and employ locals in their operations.
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