The maritime potential of Berau regency continues to be uncovered. One of the potential is the area around Maratua and Kakaban Island, which is only a small part of the overall regency total potential of 1,2 million hectare located on the east side of the island of Borneo. The activity of migrating dolphins and whales around the islands has been noticed and monitored for quite a long time.
 
Migration of dolphins and whales is frequently visible almost throughout the year which gives a remarkable potential for the tourists to observe sea mammals’ activity that are playing or migrating. However, the potential utilization of non-extractive maritime sector is facing new challenges. A spatial planning in the Maratua sub district which focuses on building a big dock in Payung-Payung Village, Maratua Island, is being initiated by the local government. The challenge facing the sector is the compulsory obligation of construction that must pay attention to the rules of sustainable development while promoting harmonious relationships between environmental preservation and development as well as income for the community.
 
Maratua sub district is one of 7 sub districts in Berau regency with a total area of more than 2,300 hectare including Kakaban Island which has a freshwater lake as a habitat of the 4 listed stingless jellyfish. Kakaban Island is one of the two atoll lakes in the world which is the habitat of these jellyfish, while the other lake is located in Palau Island, Micronesia.
 
Promotion of tourism to this region needs to be enhanced as well. Palau for instance, with a population of about 15 thousand people is able to attract 30 thousand tourists per year. What about Berau? The population of more than 180 thousand people should be remarkable human resources to participate actively in the management effort. Meanwhile, good news came from Berau government and Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs who eventually signed a memorandum of understanding to manage and utilize Berau maritime sector together on an ongoing basis to support local and national development which was held in Jakarta on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. This memorandum of understanding may be an opening door for sustainable management in other sectors.
 
For the time being, based on visiting tourists who come and stay in existing resorts in Maratua, there are more than 2 resorts proven credible in management and professional standard. Transportation access to Maratua Island can be reached via Spinggan airport, Balikpapan, or via Tarakan City then proceed to Tanjung Batu by road or speed boat, then by speed boat to the destination islands including Sangalaki Island, Derawan Island, Kakaban Island, and Maratua Island as well. 
 
Contact: Rusli Andar, Field Coordinator WWF Berau Program – randar@wwf.or.id

References:
1. http://www.dmoindonesia.com/index.php?module=detail_berita_utama&id=7
2. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/02/kakaban-island-paradise-i…

Note:
WWF-Indonesia has been working in Berau Regency since year of 2000, with sustainable support from WWF-Netherland and DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency), the work on sea turtle conservation had started and still on going up to now. A milestone in 2004 marked by sea turtle egg trade revocation from the market, but yet the illegal trade still remain as biggest threat until today.