TEMPO.CO, Kupang - The WWF Indonesia's Solor-Alor Program noted a decline in the quality and health of coral reefs in East Nusa Tenggara waters. The decline, averaging at 14.99 percent, was discovered through a survey by Mantatow in 2013 in the waters of Alor. In East Flores, the only 22 percent of its ecological baseline is in healthy condition.
"The condition of most of the coral in the NTT waters is very alarming," said Nusa Tenggara Regional Coordinator of WWF Indonesia, Mohammed Ridha Hakim, during a seminar on the media role in encouraging the practice of sea-coast natural resource management in Kupang, Tuesday, Dec. 10.
The coral reef damage, he said, is caused by destructive fishing practices such as the use of bombs, and poison (potassium cyanide). In addition, there is the increasing proportion of less selective fishing gears such as purse seines.
"The use of fish bombs is still high in this area," he said.
To address the issue, he said, the province need to conserve its marine areas. WWF Indonesia Solor-Alor noted that only two districts have set up 400,083 hectares of waters as a Water Conservation Area (KKPD-Alor).
YOHANES SEO