Let’s get to know the Mobula Project Indonesia! Part One
April 2021
Some time ago we shared an article by our project leader, Betty Laglbauer, on how she came to found the Mobula Project Indonesia (MPI). The project’s activities have evolved since then and while the MPI has been lucky to host motivated young Indonesian scientists since its inception, our team has never grown as much as in the past two years. Evermore and especially since COVID has hit, the team members we are about to present are the life force of the project! So let’s get introduced to our team of emerging change-makers and the actions we are undertaking…
We aim to support conservation of mobulid rays in Indonesia, by providing biological and ecological information whilst also raising stakeholder awareness and exploring solutions to reduce fisheries mortality. We focus especially on collecting data related to devil rays because they currently lack protection in Indonesia and because they are currently the main mobulid bycatch in many locations. However, because some of the potential conservation solutions we are exploring may help better protect both manta and devil rays from dying in non-selective fishing gear, we are testing these measures with the help of collaborators on all mobulid species caught in gillnets. Indeed, although a regulation is in place to protect both species of manta rays in Indonesia since 2014, they are still unintentionally caught in fishing gear when their habitat overlaps with fishing grounds.
Sharks and rays are heavily caught in targeted and bycatch fisheries in Indonesia. However, species-specific data on shark and ray landings is often limited, and is often needed to understand which species are at risk and to inform management and policy measures that will help protect them from extinction. Better management of elasmobranch fisheries is urgently needed to restore populations by finding alternatives to reduce catches. Working at both a local and national level is important to ensure that conservation measures are viable for local communities, and to accompany them through the process of adapting to using more sustainable resources than elasmobranchs.
Mobula Project Indonesia is based in Muncar (East Java), and additionally we also run a program in East Flores in collaboration with ReefCheck Indonesia. Muncar is a small village yet it hosts one of the busiest fishing ports in Indonesia. Located in the Banyuwangi region of East Java province, Muncar waters are part of the Bali Strait, the meeting point of currents from the Java Sea to the North and the Indian Ocean to the South. This creates rich upwelling conditions that fuel seasonal plankton blooms, attracting many fish, sharks and rays. East Flores is located in East Nusa Tenggara province, its sea is characterized by unique oceanographic features. It is a major path for the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) to and from the Pacific to the Indian Oceans, which enhances the productivity of the region, providing abundant food resources for top predators and mobulid rays.
Currently, we are monitoring daily shark and ray landings at fish markets, we are assessing mobulid ray survival after live-release from gillnets, we are conducting a socio-economic survey with fishermen, and we are raising awareness through education.
But.. who are part of our amazing team?
Muhammad Ghozaly Salim (Egin)
‘I’m Egin. I’m fascinated with, and committed to, ecological research and marine conservation. I graduated from a Bachelor of Fisheries from Bogor Agricultural Institute in 2016. I then took part in an internship program at Misool Foundation and was a Shark and Fisheries Program Assistant for WWF-Indonesia. I am happy that my expertise in species identification as well as my understanding of artisanal fisheries dynamics provide great support to our team. This contributes to help us find practical solutions to reduce mobulid bycatch in Muncar. My goals are to become a fisheries scientist so I can contribute to sustainable human resource development and to become an expert in overcoming essential fisheries-related conservation issues in Indonesia. I’m also really happy to have become the first scientist to satellite tag a Bentfin devil ray (Mobula thurstoni) in Indonesian waters with Mobula Project Indonesia!’
Irianies Cahya Gozali (Anes)
‘I’m Anes! I finished my Bachelor of Marine Science studies at Sriwijaya University Indonesia in 2019. While still a student, I joined the MantaWatch Internship Program and became a Manta Ambassador. After that, I interned at WWF Indonesia and collected elasmobranch landings data in Muncar. I then joined the Mobula Project Indonesia in December 2019, along with Egin as an elasmobranch field officer. I’m great at identifying elasmobranchs and this led me to become responsible for recording shark and ray landings for the project while overseeing our knowledge database. I am also collecting data in collaboration with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) to provide reproductive assessments, to find out whether the Bali Strait is an important location for devil ray reproduction…We think it is!’
Hasan Syaiful Rizal (Hasan)
I’m Hasan, originally from Banyuwangi! I have long-standing experience as an Enumerator and Vessel Observer at the Research Institute for Tuna Fisheries (Loka Riset Perikanan Tuna) – Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Affair, since 2012. Through this role, I focused on monitoring tuna catches from longline vessels, and collected biological data at the Benoa Fishing Port in Bali. With this previous experience plus the cultural background I bring from being so close to my hometown, I help the team to gain deeper insight into the shark and ray fishery from the local community’s perspective, to undertake interviews, to monitor landings, and I’m also happy I helped tag devil rays in the Bali Strait. I’m really dedicated to what I do and that helps us in our work.’
Kyra Bestari Wicaksono (Kyra)
‘I’m Kyra, a Universitas Indonesia biology graduate who has spent her last two years in Raja Ampat as a marine researcher for the Misool Foundation, before joining the Mobula Project Indonesia. I previously studied the shark populations in Misool Marine Protected Area, a national shark and ray sanctuary. From my Misool days, I also participated in their coral rehabilitation, and sea turtle monitoring programs, as well as marine debris research. I was also a delegate for Indonesia for YSEALI and SSEAYP, seeking skills in communication outside of field work. Now at Mobula Project Indonesia, I’m studying the importance of the waters around Muncar as a reproduction site for mobulid rays, along with Anes, and I reach out to stakeholders to initiate possible research collaborations.’
Firmansyah Tawang (Firman)
‘I’m Firman. I studied Marine Science and I’ve been actively involved in several projects as an apprentice at the Natural Resource Agency (BKSDA) Berau on Sea Turtles, and at WWF Indonesia on whale sharks. I was also selected to partake in the MantaWatch Internship Program to study manta ray conservation in Komodo National Park. My speciality is working with Geographic Information System (GIS) data and I help analyze data to create thematic maps from fishing trips or for the mobulid ray satellite tagging database. I also take part in interviews with the local community, monitor elasmobranch landings in Muncar, and help deploy satellite tags in the Bali Strait along with other team members. Diving is one of my passions and this led to an even greater love of the ocean and what lies beneath it.’
Edy Topan (Edy)
‘I’m Edy, originally from the beautiful land of East Flores. I graduated from Kupang Polytechnic University fisheries study program in 2016. I have previously been involved with the Misool Foundation Savu Sea Program and Misool’s bycatch reduction program using LED lights on gillnets. I love interacting with the fishing community in East Flores and understand very well local fisheries’ dynamics within the region. My role is to help deploy survival tags on Oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) in East Flores and to conduct interviews with fishermen in parallel with those in Muncar. Currently, I’m visiting the team over in Muncar to help the program over there and to gain experience both professionally and personally.’
Sila Kartika Sari (Sila)
‘I’m Sila. I manage the office and program operations for Mobula Project Indonesia. My previous experience with Reef Check Indonesia lies in bridging local community efforts toward marine conservation at a national level. This role really paid off when I represented Indonesia to promote the success of a 20-year long community-based coral reef monitoring program at the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network-East Asia Regional meeting. At Mobula Project Indonesia, I develop and build upon partnerships with stakeholders including governmental and non-governmental organisations, and the local community to promote the implementation of elasmobranch policy frameworks at national, provincial and local levels.’
The second part of this project update will be published in May, and will delve into the work that this fantastic team do.
Betty Laglbauer
Mobula Project Indonesia Leader