Lesson Three: Responsive Management Planning 

A third lesson learned from NRMP involvement at Bunaken was the need for flexibility in park 

planning. Such flexibility does not exist in the blueprint nature of the MoFr's national park 

management plan guidelines, which require comprehensive management activities and budgets 

over twenty five years.  This is unrealistic for any country, particularly those experiencing rapid 

rates of economic growth and development.  National park management must be flexible and 

adaptive, and planning must be perceived of as an ongoing process.   

The need for flexibility is clearly exemplified by the experiences from Bunaken National Park.  

During the short time between management plan submission and approval, the park 

experienced a dramatic shift in economic development and natural resources use through rapid 

development of seaweed cultivation.  Increased seaweed mariculture led to an unpredicted 

population increase, particularly on Nain Island, changes in fishing practices, and unsustainable 

pressure on the park's mangrove resources.   

While seaweed farming in the park actually started in 1989, it was not considered an important 

issue during the development of the Bunaken National Park Management Plan, prepared 

between 1991 and 1996.  Initially cultivating on the reef flats surrounding Nain Island and along 

the southern coastline, the few seaweed farmers quickly became disenchanted with poor prices 

and difficult marketing.  By 1991, seaweed cultivation seemed to have come to an end.  It 

certainly did not seem to be an important natural resources management issue.  However, a 

quiet rebirth of seaweed mariculture in the Park occurred in 1992.  CV Sumber Rezeki, a 

Manado based company, guaranteed seaweed farmers a purchase price of Rp. 350/kg of dried 

seaweed.  Over subsequent years, the purchase price for dried seaweed continued to rise.  By 

1995 the price had doubled, and in 1996 was up to Rp. 1,000/kg.  As prices continued to rise, 

more and more people started cultivating seaweed in other areas of Bunaken National Park and 

along mainland coasts.  As a result, several major changes in the use of the park's natural 

resources had not been anticipated during management plan preparation; namely:   

People stopped fishing to become seaweed cultivators.  More than 64% of seaweed 

farmers in Bunaken National Park are former fishermen. 

Seaweed cultivation spread from Nain Island to virtually all reef flats in the park.  

More than 200,360 seaweed lines were spread across some 463 hectares of reef 

flats near Nain, Buhias, Tangkasi, Tinongko, Bango, Rap Rap and Wawantulap.  

While most prevalent along the Nain reef flats (more than 70% of which are currently 

being used for seaweed farming), more than 1,439 households were cultivating 

seaweed on reef flats within the Park (61% of which were started in 1995 or later). 

The economic incentives of seaweed farming resulted in increased population 

pressure within the national park.  Before the recent seaweed boom, population 

pressures had remained relatively steady, but afterwards and particularly on Nain 

Island, there was much immigration.  This included returning family members and 

outsiders marrying into the community. 

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