Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) stated the importance of developing blue economic potential in the Wabula Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) in Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, especially in the tourism sector. "The potential is huge, it just needs to be supported by strengthening planning and providing supporting infrastructures such as tourist facilities and infrastructure such as homestays, culinary and supporting tourist attractions," said DFW Indonesia National Coordinator Moh Abdi Suhufan in a statement in Jakarta, Monday. Abdi reminded that this is in line with the blue economy, namely the sustainable use of marine resources to increase economic growth and employment opportunities while maintaining the quality of the economy and marine ecosystems. For that, he said, the opportunity to use the Wabula sea for tourism activities will be more open because it is in line with the local government's plan to make Wabula a mainstay tourist destination. He said that the World Bank report stated that the role of the sea was very important for Indonesia's welfare. The role of the sea has a very broad dimension because it has a great value and contribution to the fishery sector worth USD 27 billion, supports 7 million workers, and fulfills more than 50% of the animal protein needs in Indonesia.
According to him, one of Indonesia's coastal areas that has long adapted a sustainable marine resource management system is the Wabula KBA in Southeast Sulawesi. To support and strengthen the management system, DFW Indonesia in collaboration with Burung Indonesia and with the support of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) has implemented a small-scale indigenous community-based fisheries management program in KBA Wabula, Buton Regency. This program aims to provide data on the profile of small-scale fisheries resources in KBA Wabula, increase the capacity of indigenous peoples in marine resource management, and provide marine resource management policies based on local wisdom in encouraging better marine resource governance. The National Coordinator of DFW Indonesia, Moh Abdi Suhufan said this area has three important ecosystems on the coast, namely mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs which are relatively well preserved with a management system based on customary law communities. "The condition of coral reefs in Wabula is 50-58% still in good condition. This is far from the condition of Indonesia's coral reefs, where 23.5% are in good condition," said Abdi.
Abdi added that the high percentage of coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves is in the good category in Wabula because it is supported by the traditional fisheries management system with the Nambo system. In the Nambo area, which is the traditional fishing area of the Wabula Indigenous Peoples, there is a core zone, namely Kaombo, which is a no-take zone. He revealed that currently there are 2 types of Kaombo in Wabula, namely Kaombo Awaktu, namely a sea area that is temporarily closed or open and closed, and Kaombo Saumuru, a marine area that is permanently closed. Management with the Kaombo system aims to provide opportunities for ecosystems and marine biotas such as reef fish, ornamental fish, lola, and sea cucumbers to be able to breed and recover. The system, he continued, has had a positive impact on the Wabula community, namely the maintenance of important ecosystems in the sea, the fulfillment of fish food needs for the community, and the growth of marine tourism and research activities such as fishing and diving which have started to have an economic impact on the Wabula community.
