Marine Ecology Academy and KOMPALA Belinyu Mining Activity Patrol: Protector of the North Bangka Coastal Ecosystem and Kelabat Bay

The Nature Lovers Community (KOMPALA) Belinyu, based in the Bangka Belitung Islands, has a vision to preserve the coastal environment. Since 2013, KOMPALA Belinyu has been working with the Penyusuk Village fishing community to defend fishing areas and coastal areas from the threat of offshore tin mining activities in Bangka waters. Given the increasing threats to coastal areas, KOMPALA Belinyu with the support of the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding, initiated a program to protect the northern coastal area of ​​Bangka Island from environmental damage and maintain the blue carbon ecosystem which plays a vital role in mitigating climate change.

Blue carbon-rich coastal ecosystems have the unique ability to absorb and store large amounts of carbon, more effectively than most terrestrial ecosystems. Mangroves, for example, are able to store carbon in roots spread across the coastal soil layer. As long as the ecosystem remains healthy, the carbon reserves will be stored long-term and will not be easily released into the atmosphere.

Through the “Ecology Academy Based on the Marine Knowledge Center” program, KOMPALA Belinyu initiated a series of activities to protect and restore the coastal ecosystem of Bangka Island, especially in the Putri Island area. The program began with deliberations and planning meetings. Various parties were involved, such as WALHI Bangka Belitung Islands, POKMASWAS, and local fishermen, to discuss the strategy for implementing the program. After the discussion, they rushed to prepare learning facilities and infrastructure for implementation on Putri Island.

KOMPALA members and the surrounding community worked together to repair the learning huts that would function as training rooms and libraries. They worked together to paint, repair buildings, and complete basic facilities such as electricity, sanitation, and clean water storage containers. Once the learning facilities were ready, KOMPALA installed additional supporting facilities, including environmentally friendly solar-powered lighting to enable nighttime activities.

This improvement ensures safer access for patrol teams and training participants crossing to Putri Island, previously crossings only relied on fishing boats. Learning facilities on Putri Island are now more representative and comfortable for producing marine cadres who will hold the baton of coastal ecosystem conservation.

KOMPALA also holds various trainings to increase the capacity and knowledge of community members about coastal ecosystems. They hold marine education that introduces participants to mangrove ecosystems, coral reefs, and builds awareness about the importance of maintaining coastal ecosystems.

The participants, mostly junior high and high school students in Belinyu District, also practiced direct observation and preservation of the ecosystem. With the help of resource persons from the Marine and Fisheries Service and academics from local universities, the participants learned about coastal ecology and gained practical knowledge on how to maintain marine biodiversity.

Through the Marine Ecology Academy, KOMPALA has created an educational space for the younger generation to understand, appreciate, and be directly involved in efforts to preserve coastal ecosystems. A total of 20 young cadres have been trained in environmental issues and marine ecosystems, forming a new generation that has the awareness and capacity to maintain and protect their coastal areas. Not only impacting the local community, the activity will also target increasing awareness of tourists visiting Putri Island about the importance of maintaining the cleanliness and sustainability of coastal ecosystems.

KOMPALA also organizes skills training in making environmentally friendly products from local raw materials. Covering how to process natural materials from the coast into handicrafts with economic value, such as bags, woven or ecologically based decoration products. This activity also encourages the local economy while reducing economic activities that have the potential to damage the environment. The community learns to develop a creative economy by utilizing existing resources wisely without damaging the coastal environment they protect.

Another important achievement is the routine daily patrol schedule to monitor mining activities that have the potential to damage the ecosystem in the coastal area and small islands covering 100 hectares in the northern waters of Bangka. Volunteers, local fishermen, and POKMASWAS members periodically patrol according to a schedule agreed upon by the community.

By preventing destructive mining activities, they not only protect the environment from pollution and sedimentation that can damage coral reefs, but also maintain the stability of coastal ecosystems that are essential for absorbing carbon and supporting marine life rich in biodiversity. Protection of coastal ecosystems that are part of blue carbon, is not only for nature but also to maintain an important source of livelihood for the local community on the Penyusuk coast, totaling 2326 people (1158 men, 1168 women) who traditionally rely on coastal areas for their livelihoods.