Bali - successful coral reef project in Pemuteran

Since its start in 2000, the Pemuteran coral restoration project has received local and international recognition for its successful community-based effort to restore the damaged coral reefs at Pemuteran Bay, which have suffered from overfishing and natural and man-made disasters.

Located 150-kilometers northeast of Denpasar, Pemuteran Bay in Buleleng regency is home to the island’s richest marine biodiversity. The Pemuteran project involved the community-based Karang Lestari Foundation, together with Global Coral Reef Alliance, which claimed the project was the world’s largest, longest running and best coral reef restoration project.

Thanks to German and American scientists Wolf Hilbertz and Thomas Goreau, and local fishermen, the project became a reality. The project has involved planting around 70 bio-rock structures to help restore the coral reefs and fisheries of Pemuteran Bay devastated due to unsustainable fishing practices.

Previously, the project had received numerous accolades, including the Konas Award from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry for the Best Community Based Coastal Management in 2002, the Asianta Award and Kalpataru Award from the President of Indonesia in 2005, the Pioneering Award from the Bali administration in 2007, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award in 2008, and the Tri Hita Karana Award in 2011. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also bestowed the Equator Prize for a coral reef restoration project.

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