North Maluku Coastal Communities' Hard Efforts to Protect Marine Conservation Areas Highlight Surveillance Challenges

North Maluku (Malut) is one of the provinces with the most and largest Marine Conservation Areas (KKP) in Indonesia, after West Papua and Southwest Papua. Unfortunately, the lack of infrastructure and surveillance budget makes surveillance efforts not yet optimal. According to the Malut one data portal, as of 2025, the province has seven KKPs with an area of 1,005,235.35 hectares. These include KKP Pulau Mare and Surrounding Waters (7,060 hectares), Pulau Rao-Tanjung Dehegilia (65,892.42 hectares), Small Islands of Sula Islands (120,723.8 hectares), KKP Widi Islands (315,117.92 hectares), Guraici Islands Waters (91,538.99 hectares), Makian and Moti Island Waters (67,349 hectares), and Patani-Bicoli Area and Sayafi Island Waters (337,552.27 hectares), which was newly designated by the government in 2025. Timotius Suage, Chairman of the Aru Burung Village Community Oversight Group (Pokmaswas) on Morotai Island, stated that while the area of conservation zones in Malut continues to grow, all face the same problem: minimal infrastructure. "Especially for supporting surveillance, such as patrol boats," said Timo recently. He emphasized that surveillance is crucial to ensure effective management of conservation areas. Meanwhile, destructive fishing continues to occur in the field. Surveillance of conservation areas conducted by Pokmaswas on Rao Island, Morotai. Photo: Mahmud Ichi/Mongabay Indonesia. Needs Attention Timo acknowledged that there has been assistance with boats and engines from the Malut Department of Fisheries and Marine Affairs (DKP), but it has not been evenly distributed. Consequently, patrol or surveillance activities by several Pokmaswas are self-funded. Irfandi Bunga, Chairman of Pokmaswas Widi Star, did not deny this. He stated that his group has been using fishing boats for surveillance. "There has been no support, neither for the boat hull nor the engine, let alone operational costs," he said. The Tanjung Degila KKP on the island...