Participatory mapping: Assessing problems and defined marine conservation planning and zoning in Jor Bay, Indonesia

Abstract

Jor Bay Lombok is a marine protected area (MPA) which is initiated by local communities, which have a local-driven marine management regulation called Awiq-awiq. Unfortunately, the fisheries condition has continued to decline in the past decades, where the rate of exploitation of capture fisheries in Jor Bay shows an unbalanced condition because the harvest value is still higher than the recruitments and growth. Awiq-awiq regulates all existing utilization and protection of marine resources, but yet, has not included spatial aspects, leaving a situation that leads to unsustainability for fisheries resources and other resources. Balanced zoning of ecosystems and marine resources is needed in order to ensure the sustainability of the fisheries system in Jor Bay. This paper aims to illustrate how a marine spatial planning approach in a local MPA can be built with a community-based zoning system. The integration of local systems and formal-government systems is very effective and fast in the development of MPA zoning systems by considering the optimum allocation of the existence of ecosystems that guarantee the natural metabolic processes of the fisheries system in the Bay. The implementation of the MPA zoning system is expected to be able to support the guarantee of sustainable fisheries production for the surrounding region.