Karimunjawa National Park area is a conservation area designated in 2001, located 201 km in northern Semarang. The area consists of 22 islands of 110.117,30 ha waters area and 1.507,70 ha land area with the total 111.625 ha. The park is home for 509 reef fish species, 76 hard coral genus, 9 seagrass species, 3 sea turtle species, and 45 mangroves and its associated species. This national park becomes really essentials for the natives since it is an important fisheries resources and critical habitat for key fish species in Karimunjawa and Java Sea in general.
THREATS
Current threats faced by the KNP Management authority are the increase pressure to aquatic resources due to high demand from tourist; lack of tourism management inside KNP area; limited knowledge and skills of the tourism operators on sustainable tourism; lack of awareness on responsible tourism from tourist and tourism operators.
WHAT WE DO
Within more than ten years supporting Karimunjawa National Park, WCS Indonesia Program’s activity in Karimunjawa started with ecological studies in 2002 and 2003. We have succeeded in developing database on coral reef ecology, socioeconomic, community compliance, and aquatic resources in this national park. The data and information is essential for the national park authority, local government, and other key stakeholders in formulating policy and management plan, as well as a strong reference for consultancy process between parties in the National Park’s rezoning process in 2005 & 2012.