KKP Sets Tourism Quota In National Conservation Areas

ILLUSTRATION/DOK KKP

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is ready to regulate a quota system for natural tourism activities in waters within the national conservation area to preserve and sustain ecosystem resources in the region.

"The purpose of this quota system arrangement is intended to suppress the high utilization activity so as not to have a negative impact on the coastal ecosystem," said Head of the Kupang National Water Conservation Area (BKKPN), Imam Fauzi, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, April 5.

According to Imam, the calculation of quotas for natural tourism activities in waters is based on the carrying capacity of conservation areas. With quota arrangements, it is hoped that it can realize the general use of sustainable and natural tourism in particular.

One of the priority conservation areas for implementing the quota system according to Imam is the Gili Matra Island Conservation Area which will be applied to diving and snorkeling tourism activities.

"According to the results of the calculation of the carrying capacity, the number of entry ticket quotas for the Waters Nature Tourism activities in the Gili Matra Conservation Area does not exceed 421 tickets/day. The quota distribution will later consider seasons and weather or extreme waves," said Imam.

He also emphasized that to increase compliance with business actors related to the processing of business licensing, the quota will only be given to business actors who have taken care of licensing for the use of the Conservation Area (SIUPKK).

Director of Marine Conservation and Diversity of KKP Firdaus Agung said, referring to the Decree of the Director General of Marine and Marine Management Number 55 of 2023 concerning Technical Guidelines for Calculation of Supporting Activities for the Utilization of Conservation Areas, in order to maintain the function of conservation areas as a protection area and preservation of fish resources and their ecosystems, utilization activities in conservation areas need to be controlled according to their carrying capacity.

"The function of supporting the use of areas related to fishing, cultivation and tourism is calculated and applied to support sustainable use in conservation areas," he said.

According to Firdaus, the decision will be applied to tourism activities in the Gili Matra waters conservation area with the aim of avoiding "overtourism" which can result in pressure on natural resources as the selling value of tourism.