The Savu Sea Marine National Park (MNP) is in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. With areas of 3.35 million hectares, it is the largest Marine Conservation Area in the world's Coral Triangle region. The Savu Sea MNP has a distribution of coral reefs with very high species biodiversity and deep-sea habitats to support the diversity of cetaceans and turtles. Turtles are one of the protected species in this area.
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The waters of Sabu Raijua are part of the Savu Sea MNP. Its beautiful beaches are a favorite place for turtles to visit and lay eggs. Many turtles start their lives here, in the coastal and beach areas. However, their lives are also threatened by both human actions and other factors.
As part of the collaborative management of the Savu Sea MNP, Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) collaborates with stakeholders, such as the Kupang National Marine Conservation Area Office (BKKPN) and the local community, to participate in preserving turtles. YKAN collaborates with residents of Waduwalla village, Sabu Raijua, to jointly protect and preserve turtles on their beach. YKAN provides turtle monitoring training using an application that the community can use to find traces and report directly. They are also trained to act appropriately, according to procedures, on which technique to move the eggs and release them back into the sea.
Years ago, BKKPN and YKAN jointly surveyed several coasts and beaches, such as Rote, Kupang, and Sabu Raijua. BKKPN has formed other community groups to help preserve this important species within their respective conservation program. Community awareness activities related to socializing the importance of turtles for the health of the Savu Sea MNP continue to be echoed by BKKPN and YKAN. This underlines the important role of community action in the collaborative management of a marine conservation area.
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