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Sabang: Boosting tourism through conservation
Island beauty: A boy gazes out into the sea from Teupin Layeu Beach on the idyllic Rubiah Island in Sabang, Aceh
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Island beauty: A boy gazes out into the sea from Teupin Layeu Beach on the idyllic Rubiah Island in Sabang, Aceh.
A concerted conservation effort from locals and government in Sabang, Aceh, has finally paid off with the area turning into a newly popular tourist attraction.
Agroup of tourists were going to cross, where service providers were ready with a motorboat, diving fins and snorkeling equipment on Weh Island off the northern tip of Aceh. Rubiah Island in the northwest of Weh is a famous snorkeling location in Sabang, now teeming with eager admirers of its gorgeous coral reefs and sand beach.
Muslim, a local service provider that has been operating for years, offers diving packages to several spots at different rates according to the destination and arrangements chosen by the tourists. Teupin Layeu Beach, said Muslim, had been well-known since the 1980s, when visitors to Rubiah recommended it to fellow travelers.
To the boat, we go: Visitors are about to leave Rubiah Island.
“People have now called it Iboih, which is actually the name of our village. Locals continue to call this beach Teupin Layeu,” indicated Muslim. A beautiful beach in Keuneukai, said Muslim, was already frequented by tourists in the 1980s before Teupin Layeu or Iboih, but the area failed to develop into a tourist attraction.
Tourist arrivals on Weh Island and Sabang, the westernmost city of Indonesia, has become a magnet for local and foreign visitors, who are welcomed with fascinating marine tourist spots that demand extra conservation efforts to maintain their charm.
The conservation program plays an important role in maintaining marine beauty, not only on the surface but also further down into the bottom of the sea where coral and fish live.
Therefore, Muslim and his peers have set up the Iboih Tourism Institute, which is in charge of ensuring the security and comfort of the location as well as depositing donations for the patrol and safeguarding of Iboih waters.
“Tourists using boat services have to buy tickets, 2.5 percent of the price of which is donated to the sea patrol team under the management of panglima laut [traditional maritime affairs chief] and the same portion to the village administration. In this way, the fund for various activities will always be available,” he said.
Iboih maritime affairs chief Captain Muhammad AG said his team had conducted routine patrols to prevent beach water from being damaged.
“Intruders usually come from outside Iboih. The law must be upheld to maintain the authority of our community. If coral reefs are destroyed and fish can no longer be found, tourism [in the area] will not last,” Muhammad pointed out.
The conservation program in the area began in 2004, in the wake of the December 2004 tsunami, which left Iboih’s undersea environment virtually deserted.
The program was then continued because of rampant blast fishing that damaged local coral reefs. Supported by international aid agencies including Fauna & Flora International, marine conservation was initiated up until 2009.
One of the conservation programs was collecting data on the coral reefs status, including seven sea parks locations in Iboih: Batee Meuronron, Rubiah, West Rubiah, West Seulako, East Seulako, Teupin Layeu and Batee Gla.
Underwater gem: The beauty of a coral reef displayed at the Sabang Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency.
The survey showed that the average coral cover was in a moderate state, but butterly fish (Chaetodon) and parrot fish (Scaridae) remained plentiful, thus indicating the possibility of coral reef recovery in spite of the partial destruction after being leveled by the anchors of fishing boats.
Captain Muhammad said he then renewed local commitment to safeguard beach waters by concluding a consensus with stakeholders in Iboih. Some custom rules were laid down, covering prohibitions on explosives, compressors and trawls for fishing, besides a fish shooting ban.
A violator would be subjected to a Rp 2 million-(US$150) fine under the local consensus. A suspect is first tried by the custom tribunal and if no settlement can be reached, village authorities will transfer the violator to the police, which is the case for serious violations like blast fishing and fish poisoning.
Head of the Sabang Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency, Saifullah, appreciates the work of the maritime affairs chief.
“Our task is to guarantee the proper management of the sea by the community. We provide various training courses including law enforcement,” he said.
In 2014, added Saifullah, his office caught at least three foreign vessels for alleged illegal fishing in Sabang waters. From 1999 to 2000, 36 foreign fishing boats were held, indicating the local government’s commitment to protect the island community from poaching.
The glitter of Sabang tourism demands cooperation with all relevant parties, including the locals and the government. Coordination as an important aspect of development should be properly carried out for more effective conservation to maintain the beauty of Sabang.
— Photos by Syafrizaldi
