367-372 Kramer.p65

The world’s marine resources have long been viewed as inexhaustible supplies of protein and other products for the human population. However, as the adverse effects of human activity on marine and coastal ecosystems have become better understood, views of the sustainability of resource use have changed. Globally, there are increasing concerns about the sustainability of marine and coastal fisheries, as marine catches have plateaued, and some fisheries have been closed entirely. This has led to calls for a better understanding of the biological and economic productivity of the ecosystems that humans inhabit, and for increased knowledge of ways to manage human effects on marine and coastal resources (1). Coastal ecosystems are of great economic importance throughout Southeast Asia. The regions’ fisheries supply the main source of animal protein in the region, and coral reefs supply 30% of the total fish catch (2). In Indonesia, the total annual fish catch in 1994 was 2.8 million tonnes, with 90% of this harvested by artisanal fishers. The region’s coastal resources are under threat from coastal development, population growth, over-fishing, and climate related events, including widespread coral-bleaching (3). This paper reports on a study of human population changes and the use of coastal resources in several communities in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The area between Sulawesi and Irian Jaya has some of the highest levels of marine biodiversity in the world, and has been identified as a global priority area for marine conservation efforts (4). The province of North Sulawesi lies close to this fertile marine area and has a large population that depends on the coastal and marine resources for their economic well-being (5). One example of the importance of this region for marine biodiversity conservation was the discovery in 1998 of a population of coelacanth, a rare, primitive fish with a fossil record dating back 370 million years. Before this discovery, its habitat was thought limited to the Comoro Islands off the coast of Africa, 6000 miles away (6). The study area is on the northern tip of North Sulawesi in the district of Minahasa, an area that has attracted many migrants in recent decades, among them many fishermen. Minahasa contains the Bunaken Marine National Park, one of the most popular marine parks in Southeast Asia. Nearly 10 000 scuba divers travel from Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America to visit the park every year (7). The population of the province has been increasing at a rapid rate, particularly in areas near the capital of Manado. From 1980 to 2000, Manado’s population more than doubled, from 228 000 to 457 000 (8, 9). Rapid increases in population in the area have been correlated with increases in destructive fishing practices, coastal erosion, and depletion of mangrove and forest trees (5).