By: Nara Wisesa & Noverica Widjojo (WWF-Indonesia)

After a grueling preparation, this day finally arrived. Fifteen expedition participants, the majority of whom work as researchers, arrived in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara, and were ready to depart on the Seven Seas sailing ship to conduct a rapid ecological and social survey in the Southwest Maluku Regency. Welcome to the Southwest Maluku Expedition!

The joint expedition team comes from WWF-Indonesia, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Pattimura University (Unpatti), and the Wildlife Conservation Society - Indonesia Program (WCS-IP). It is estimated that when they arrive on Moa Island on the sixth day (6/11), there will be one more participant representing the Southwest Maluku Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP).

We left at noon for the port in Maumere. Upon arrival, we were picked up by several Seven Seas crew members using two fast boats and taken directly to the ship, which has a shape like a pinisi ship. Once on board, we were greeted by smoothy pisang, a 'welcome' drink that is very appropriate to be enjoyed in the middle of Maumere's hot weather. It was really refreshing! At around 4pm, the ship lifted anchor and headed straight for the first island in Southwest Maluku, Liran Island. Travel time from Maumere to Liran Island is estimated to be around 1.5 days.

Southwest Maluku is a new district in Maluku Province, the result of the division of Southeast Maluku Regency in 2009. The waters of Southwest Maluku are directly adjacent to Timor Leste and the waters of Northern Australia. This geographical condition makes Southwest Maluku a strategic area that must be guarded by Indonesia, especially related to national sovereignty and natural resource management. However, to support this effort, data on biological resources, social ecology, and fisheries in the Southwest Maluku Regency is still relatively minimal due to the difficulty of accessing locations for data collection.

WWF-Indonesia initiated this rapid exploration survey to complete the data about Maluku Barat Daya Regency, especially related to ecological, social, and fisheries aspects. The researchers participating in the activity, which will last for the next two weeks, come from various fields such as fisheries, social and ecological sciences. In fact, this expedition is also attended by communication experts who will later help disseminate important information that we find during the activity to the public.

In order for this activity to run smoothly, the team will be divided into two, namely the Land Team - consisting of social and fisheries researchers - will conduct surveys on marine resource management patterns in villages in coastal areas; and the Sea Team - consisting of coral and fish experts - who will make observations on the health of coral reefs in the waters adjacent to the villages where the Land Team is located.

It is hoped that the data obtained from this expedition can be used as recommendations to interested parties in exploring the potential of fisheries and implementing marine conservation efforts in this region so that it has a positive impact on its people.

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