By: I Made Dharma Jaya Ariawan (Alor-Flotim Marine Protected Area (MPA) Coordinator, WWF-Indonesia)

Commitment to maintain seagrass ecosystem as a habitat for dugongs (Dugong dugon) in the waters of Mali Beach, Alor, requires the readiness of Kabola Village and Pante Deere Village in Kabola Sub-district; and Munaseli Village in Pantar Sub-district, Alor.

These three villages are cleaning up knowing that their village waters are a place for dugongs to live. These three villages in Alor have the potential of seagrass ecosystems (Halophila sp. and Thalasia sp) and become WWF assisted villages for dugong and seagrass conservation.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has designated this marine mammal as "Vulnerable" or vulnerable to extinction. This rare protected marine mammal is an asset for Alor Regency to protect.

In 2010, Munaseli Village established a village-based monitoring mechanism for dugongs and other protected biota. The front guard of this mechanism is Pokmaswas (Supervisory Community Group) Tanjung Muna. In this village, traces of dugong feeding were recorded and in 2016 a dugong was caught accidentally (bycatch) by fishermen.

Now, Pokmaswas as a supervisor of dugongs and seagrass habitat in Munaseli waters is being addressed again. On January 7, 2018, Munaseli Village has drafted a Village Regulation on the protection of dugongs and their habitat. Pokmaswas is also expected to prevent destructive practices in utilizing aquatic resources such as fish bombing and other illegal fishing gear. Munaseli Village has also established a Village-Owned Enterprise (Bumdes) to support sufficient and sustainable operational funds for the Tanjung Muna Pokmaswas.

Not only that, strengthening the capacity of Pokmaswas is also an important agenda recorded in the Draft Village Budget (APBDes).

"With sustainable funding and built Pokmaswas capacity, it is hoped that the seagrass and dugong ecosystems in Alor will be maintained," said Sem Tolang, Head of Munaseli Village.

The increasing awareness of the Munaseli Village community cannot be separated from the role of the Alor Regency Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP) and the NTT Provincial DKP together with WWF through the Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project (DSCP). Alor Regency as part of the Pantar Strait and Surrounding Sea Natural Reserve (SAP) is one of 3 districts in Indonesia that received attention from the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) in protecting dugongs and their habitats.

"To maintain the dugong population in Alor, collaboration and supervision mechanisms are needed from the community, law enforcement officials, private sector (area users), local government, and provincial government," said Rahmin Amahala, Head of DKP Alor Regency. That with the authority of conservation management and water surveillance currently under the provincial government, DKP Alor still shows a role in the transition of management authority to ensure the effectiveness of Pantar Strait SAP management, especially for the protection of dugongs and their habitat.