Dewan Penasihat Pengelolaan Taman Nasional Bunaken (BNPMAB, Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board) is a landmark case for local co-management of a marine protected area in Indonesia. The initiative brings together government agencies, international partners, and local communities in the collaborative management of the Bunaken National Park in North Sulawesi. The park comprises more than 8,000 hectares of coral reef, extensive seagrass beds, and vast mangrove forests, as well as around twenty-two dictinct villages. The 30,000 residents of these coastal and island communities are represented on the management board by the Bunaken Concerned Citizen's Forum (Forum Masyarakat Peduli TN Bunaken).
In partnership with the Indonesian Department of Nature Conservation, the board has designed a practical and efficient user fee system that generates revenues for the protected area and its residents, funding a joint patrol system as well as a number of community development projects. |