North Bali Reef Conservation
North Bali Reef Conservation is a Non-Governmental Organisation and volunteering program based in the small fishing village of Tianyar on the North East coast of Bali. Tianyar’s reef has potential to be a healthy and highly diverse coral reef but is currently in poor condition due to abusive and unsustainable actions in the past. Until the 1950s the Tianyar beach was a port for traders who used to anchor their ships on the reef. Before, it was also fashionable to harvest coral for it to be crushed into a fine white powder and used to show a family’s wealth when painted on the outside of their house. More recently, the marine ecosystem is under pressure from plastic pollution choking marine life as well as pressure from few individuals using unsustainable fishing practices. An urgent need to protect and conserve the reef was identified and in July 2017. North Bali Reef Conservation was founded by Ketut De Sujana Mahartana, the founder of Volunteer in Bali Program, and Zach Boakes an undergraduate environmental scientist. Alongside our aim to restore and conserve Tianyar’s coral reef, we also aim to provide an alternative, sustainable livelihood to the local people. North Bali Reef Conservation has since started several environmental and sustainability projects focusing on education, mentality change, a no take Marine Protection Area (MPA), pollution reduction, and the construction of artificial reef structures.
Tell us a bit about you and your organisation
Non-profit NGO with the aim of restoring local coral reef ecosystems for sustainable Indonesian livelihoods. We work with volunteers and local communities on a variety of sustainability and restoration projects, including artificial reef building, environmental education and plastic recycling.
“North Bali Reef Conservation was set up in Tianyar village, where Ketut our founder grew up. The volunteer accommodation is just a stone’s throw away from the beach with a perfect view out to the ocean. We construct our artificial reef structures on this beach under the shade of tall palm trees. We then deploy the structures directly out from where we have built them in an area between 5 and 9 meters in depth. Tianyar is in the region of Karangasem and is three hours from Bali’s capital Denpasar. Visiting the fishing village of Tianyar is a unique cultural experience because unlike the South of Bali, it is untouched by tourism. It is also a great site to call home as you travel around Bali, with good condition road links both north and south. Many volunteers choose to take day trips to feel mentally and culturally enriched at Balinese Hindu temples such as Lempuyang temple, to cool off in waterfalls such as Aling-Aling or to hike to the top of Mt Batur and witness the breathtaking Balinese sunrise.”
Website - www.northbalireefconservation.com
Facebook - Balireefconservation
Instagram - @north_bali_reef_conservation
