Marlasi
The national demo project in Aru is implemented by Yayasan Sitakena, entitled “Perlindungan Hutan Bakau dan pelestarian lingkungan pesisir melalui peningkatan usaha budidaya rumput laut dan nelayan tangkap di Kecamatan Aru Utara, Kabupaten Kepulauan Aru”. The project started on 15 September 2012 and will end on 14 March 2014.
The project in Aru seeks to address the “failure to manage mangrove and coastal resources in North Aru“. Specific problems are: the use of mangrove tree for subsistence living and for boat construction; the development of Aru poached the mangrove area, loss of endemic fish Oti (sea catfish), red snapper and mud crab, and loss of barrier to protect the village from sea hazard such as storm and high tide.
Based on these issues, the following outputs and a set of activities for each were formulated:
- Strengthening the economic of coastal communities by improving seaweed farming and introducing fish processing.
- Community awareness about mangrove
- Support the village spatial planning through the initiation of village regulation
- Mangrove rehabilitation
- Strengthening customary institution
- Strengthening the surveillance system by the local fishers
Seaweed farming has been a favourite alternative livelihood in Aru due to its low capital for the initiation, the skills can be learned easily, and high demand. 10 groups which are 30 men and 20 women as members, in three villages (Marlassi, Kahbufin Tasinwaha) were formed. Not only provision of ropes for seaweed farming, also training in farming, harvesting and post harvesting.
Communities conserve their coastal resources by building awareness, replanting mangrove trees in front of their villages and strengthening local wisdom to protect the marine resources. Communities mapped their resources and they are in the process of building agreement to conserve it.
In addition, they also face problems of the use of dynamic fishing method by outside fishers which result in massive dead fish. Therefore, they established a community based surveillance system. This strengthens the conservation efforts.
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