Dear readers, it’s been more than a month since our latest update. But, we are back with our patrol update for April, 2021.

 Now, on our March update we’ve mentioned about the rising numbers of entrance fee ownership violations, which reached nine violations found that month by our Jaga Laut – the official name for the Raja Ampat Marine Park Authority’s*** rangers.

 The mentioned state led to the issued of an official memorandum addressed to several liveaboards repetitively caught without entrance fee, and with other persuasive efforts as well.

 Thankfully, the warning was responded in positive manner, and the numbers of entrance fee violations have dropped to only two findings in April. Thank you!

 In April, a total of 65 patrols were conducted from eight monitoring posts within the Raja Ampat MPA’s network, and here are some of those highlights.

Asia and Ayau Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA)

Out of nine patrols conducted in Asia and Ayau Islands MPA this month, at least one highlight was worth mentioning here. During a patrol on the 23^rd of April, 2021, our Jaga Laut personnel caught one local fishermen using a poisonous substance during his activity.

The activity was quickly stopped by the rangers, and followed with a warning and explanation related to the impacts of destructive fishing to the community livelihood in general. The rangers took notes for Resources Use Monitoring (RUM) as well.

Photo 1. A local fishermen caught using poisonous substance made of certain root in Asia and Ayau Islands MPA. He was firmly reprimanded and asked to stopped his activity. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

Mayalibit Bay MPA

A total of eight patrol days were conducted in Mayalibit Bay MPA, and no violations were found by the Jaga Laut this month. Violation or not, RUM data were still taken by the rangers from all the MPA’s users found.

Photo 2. One of Jaga Laut’s personnel taking notes for RUM data collection from one of the liveaboards found that day. No violations were found this month in Mayalibit Bay MPA. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

Dampier Strait MPA

Dampier Strait MPA’s Gam and Yenaduak monitoring posts conducted a combined of 15 patrols in April, 2021. Both monitoring posts did not find any violations this month, and RUM data were taken by the rangers from all the users.

Photo 3. Jaga Laut from Gam Monitoring Post in Dampier Strait MPA looking through his binocular during a patrol in April 2021 – No violations from Dampier Strait MPA this month. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

Misool Islands MPA

A total of nine patrols were conducted in Misool Islands MPA this month. And out of those nine patrols, violations were found in two patrol days.

One of those were two bagans (a certain type of fishing boat not allowed to operate within the Raja Ampat MPA’s network) caught in 20^th of April, 2021. Rangers quickly stopped their activities and provided them with information related to the do’s and don’ts’s within Raja Ampat MPA’s network, before directing them to sail away from Misool Islands MPA.

Photo 4. One of the bagans, originated from Municipality of Sorong, caught by rangers from Misool Islands MPA on the 20^th of April, 2021. Rangers quickly directed those two fishing boats to sail away from the MPA. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

Another violations were found during a patrol on the 26^th of April 2021, when two fishing boats from the neighbouring island were caught by the Jaga Laut using air compressors (another activities prohibited in Raja Ampat MPA’s network). Unfortunately, they resisted by threatening the rangers.

This incident was reported in the same day to the local authorities: Army personnel from the local outpost in Misool Island, and village government’s representatives. But, the joint patrol couldn’t find the mentioned fishermen – it is certain the they already fled the scene.

Photo 5. Joint patrol consisted of Army personnel, village government’s representatives, and rangers from Raja Ampat Marine Park’s Authority before departing on the 26^th of April, 2021. Unfortunately, they couldn’t locate the two fishing boats using air compressors previously found by the rangers. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

Kofiau–Boo Islands MPA

Rangers from Kofiau-Boo Islands MPA conducted a total of eight patrols in April, 2021, and found three violations.

On the 13^th of April, 2021, the patrol found one fishing boat from beyond Raja Ampat without the proper permits, and was directed to sail away from Kofiau-Boo Islands MPA.

Photo 6. One of the two fishing boats caught without proper permits during a patrol on the 13^th of April, 2021. The patrol that day was a joint patrol between the rangers and the district’s government. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

A yacht was caught without entrance fee on the 21^st of April, 2021, and the rangers directed them to settle this issue with the Raja Ampat Marine Park Authority’s office in Waisai.

Photo 7. One yacht was caught without Environmental Service Maintenance fee in Kofiau-Boo Islands MPA, and was directed to sail to Waisai and settle this issue with the marine park authority’s office. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

Lastly, on the 22^nd of April, 2021, Jaga Laut caught one fishing boat using SCUBA tanks. Rangers stopped their activities, provided them with the do’s and don’ts, and directed them to sail away from the MPA.

Photo 8. Fishing boat caught using diving gears (SCUBA tanks) in Kofiau-Boo Islands MPA. Rangers directed them to sail away from the MPA, even though they argued that they had a permit from the local church. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

Fam Islands MPA

Jaga Laut from Fam Islands MPA conducted a total of seven patrols during April, 2021, and encountered one violation on the 23^rd when a local fishing boat was caught within the Tourism and Food Security Sub-zone. Jaga Laut then provided him with information related to the zoning system in Fam Islands MPA, before directing him to sail away from the mentioned sub-zone – RUM data was collected as well.

Photo 9. Jaga Laut personnel provided information on zoning system to one of the fishermen caught within no take zone. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

West Waigeo Islands Marine Reserve

Jaga Laut from West Waigeo Islands Marine Reserve conducted a total of nine patrols in April, 2021, and managed to find one violation: a yacht with four visitors without entrance fee on the 24^th. Jaga Laut then directed the yacht to sail away from the MPA, and to settle this issue with the marine park authority’s office in Waisai.

Photo 10. One of the four yachts found during a patrol on the 24^th of April, 2021. Out of the four, one yacht was caught without entrance fee by rangers from the Wayag Monitoring Post. (Photo by: BLUD UPTD Pengelolaan KKP Kepulauan Raja Ampat/2021).

Table 1. Table of Patrol Count from Seven MPAs in Raja Ampat from May 2020 to March 2021.

Those were the news from our patrol update for April, 2021. We hope to see you again, and pretty soon as well, on our next article of patrol update for May, 2021.

We sincerely hope this would be useful for you. Thank you very much for your time, attention, and kind support – as always. Stay happy and stay healthy, Folks!

*           Data and Information Staff for Raja Ampat’s Marine Park Authority

***        The official name for Raja Ampat’s Marine Park Authority is Badan Layanan Umum Daerah Unit Pelaksana Teknis Daerah (BLUD UPTD) Pengelolaan Kawasan Konservasi Perairan (KKP) Kepulauan Raja Ampat.