Badung Plans to Complete Coral Reef Restoration in 2014

Nusa Dua (Antara Bali) - Badung district plans in 2014  to restore damaged coral reefs along the southern coasts of Bali where popular tourists site are located, an official said on Sunday.

"Funds for the restoration project will be allocated gradually each year from various sources, central government, provincial budget and contributions from business circles and hotels," I Made Badra, head of Badung fishery and maritime office said.

Speaking to the press at Coral Restoration and Body Painting Competition in Peninsula beach, Nusa Dua, Badra said the restoration project is expected to be completed in 2014 along the an 82-km coastline in southern Bali.

Badra added that restoration had been conducted since 2008 to enable coral reefs grow and in fact the  restoration was already done in the 1980s. The next project would be aimed at restoring coastal regions covering Tanjung Benoa, Mengiat beach, Uluwatu and  Kuta beach.

"The coastal regions of southern Bali are in bad need of  restoration because destruction caused by human activities. Coral reefs are important to  preserve the sea environment," Badra said, adding that the government has a strong commitment to restore the   coral reefs.

Badra pointed out that there should be no more destructive activities to the coral reefs such as fish bombing  by people in those areas. In local religious belief, there a concept called Tri Hita Karana, namely  balance in relations between the environment, human beings and God.

Coral reefs in the southern coastal areas of Bali began to  deface many years ago as people came and took them away for making cement for building houses as cement was still unknown during the time. But now there is already a law prohibiting the destruction of coral reefs, carrying heavy fines and two-year imprisonment for those who breach the law.

Global Coral Reef Restoration, an NGO working on the restoration of Bali coral reefs, says that Indonesia has 581 of the world's 793 known reef coral species and at least 66 of the 82  reef  coral genera in Indonesia or 80.5 percent of the 111 worldwide.(*)