Rules & Regulations

General Marine Park Use

In order to ensure that Raja Ampat Marine Park is managed sustainably and marine environments are protected over the long term, all individuals and organisations must abide by the relevant Regulations and Codes of Conduct. In this way, the rich reefs and plentiful seas can continue to support sustainable fisheries and tourism industries, provide food security for local communities, and sustain livelihoods for many thousands of people.

Please refer to the below Regulations that support the sustainable use and management of Raja Ampat Marine Park, with further details found within the ‘Management and Zoning Plan – Raja ampat Marine Protected Areas 2019-2038′.

Permits

Tourists and Visitors

All tourists and visitors are required to purchase their Marine Park Entry Card prior to entering.

All Vessels

All Vessels (commercial and recreational) must ensure they have the operational permits relevant to their activities within the Marine Park.

Zoning

Each Marine Protected Area contains specific Zones with rules that define the activities that are permitted, the activities that are prohibited, and the activities that require a permit.

All individuals and organisations must abide by Marine Park Zoning Regulation, please refer Zoning or specific Marine Protected area pages for details.

Core Zone: A conservation zone (a ‘No-Go Zone’) designated based on the highly ecological significant ecological value. Access is granted only through restricted permit that covers limited purposes.

Food Security and Tourism Zone: Commonly known as a “No Take Zone”. All forms of fishing are prohibited within these Zones. Food Security and Tourism Zones also accommodate sustainable tourism activities.

Sasi and Traditional Utilisation Zone: Zone specifically designated for the benefit of the local community that supports local, sustainable fishing activities and cultural practices. Traditional Utilisation Zones also accommodate Sustainable Tourism Activities.

Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Zone: Only limited commercial-scale fishing and aquaculture activities are allowed within this Zone, and are subject to sustainable management regulation. Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Zones also accommodate sustainable tourism activities.

Shipping Lanes: This zone is devoted to shipping lines who must remain within the lanes at all times.

Prohibited Activities

The following activities are strictly prohibited and considered violations against Raja Ampat Marine Park regulation. Conducting any of the activities listed below can result action against the perpetrator(s). Some activities, as identified, are permitted under special Zoning, permit or quota regulation.

Protected Species

Raja Ampat Regency is a Shark Sanctuary, and all sharks are protected within its waters. The Marine Park also offers protection to a number ecologically and economically important ocean species including (but is not limited to) sawfish, guitarfish, wedgefish, shovelnose rays, mobular rays, cownose rays, devil rays, eagle rays, bull nose, mobular, bull ray, marble ray, and all marine mammals.

Both species of Manta Ray (M. birostris and M. alfrediei), and all species of Sea Turtle also receive full protection status under the law of the Republic of Indonesia.

Click Here for a full list of Protected Species

With respect to species listed as protected, any and all persons are prohibited to:

Catch, injure, kill, keep, posses, care for, transport and trade in a protected animal species in a live condition.
Keep, posses, care for, transport and trade in a protected animal species in dead condition.
Transfer a protected animal species from one place to another, both inside and outside Indonesian borders
Trade, keep or posses skin, bodies or other parts of a protected animal, or goods made of parts of the animal, or transfer from one place in Indonesia to another, within or outside Indonesia.
Take, destroy, exterminate, trade, keep, or posses eggs and/or a nest of a protected animal.

Violation of Sasi (Traditional Resource Management Zone)

Local communities in Raja Ampat practice ‘sasi’ as a means to sustainably manage natural resources. With respect to marine environments, this can be opening and closing access to certain areas for fishing, and/or restricting or limiting specific activities.

All Local Community sasi’s must be respected.

Littering: Rubbish and Trash

Littering in any form is prohibited. This includes the unsuitable disposal of rubbish by not using bins provided, burying, dropping or leaving rubbish on land, dropping or dumping rubbish in the sea or any other waterways.

Damaging ecosystems or any other marine life

Damaging ecosystems or any other marine life is prohibited. This includes handling, harming or harassing marine life, or any willful or unintentional damage to any ecosystem within the park.

Spearfishing

It is prohibited for any tourists or visitors to be spearfishing for any purpose. (Local community members may use traditional spearfishing methods such as jubi and senapan molo, in Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Zones).

Coral Mining

The removal of live corals from the water for uses including (but not limited to) bricks, road fill, cement or other construction material is prohibited.

Introduction of foreign biota

The introduction to Raja Ampat of any foreign species, plant or animal, that are not native to Raja Ampat Regency is prohibited.

Conducting Research without permit

Conducting scientific research without the required permits from relevant authorities is prohibited.

Feeding Fish and other Marine Species

Feeding fish or any other marine species is generally prohibited, particularly during tourism activities such as diving and snorkelling. Under the special conditions outlined in the Code of Conduct, fish feeding may occur at specific locations (only).

Seismic Surveys, Mining (oil and gas)

Seismic Surveys and all types of mining activities are prohibited within Marine Protected Areas.

Destructive and Unsustainable Fishing

The following methods of fishing are prohibited:

Blast Fishing: the use of explosives to stun or kill schools of fish

Cyanide Fishing: spraying sodium cyanide or potassium cyanide into marine habitats in order to stun and catch fish or other marine species.

Compressor Fishing: divers using breathing hoses attached to a surface air compressor in order to collect fish or other marine species

Trawler Fishing: actively dragging or pulling a trawl net through the water behind one or more trawlers, at either seabed, mid-water or specified depth.

Purse Seine Fishing: Using purse seine fishing techniques; a large wall of netting deployed to capture an entire area or school of fish

Longline Fishing: Use of a long fishing line (main line) with multiple baited hooks attached at intervals.

Unsustainable or Damaging Fishing Practice: any fishing practice that endangers sustainability of natural resources

Other Fishing Methods

Bagan Fishing: using boats with large nets and lights suspended underneath, to attract and catch large numbers of fish is prohibited.

Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs): Using floating objects (buoys, rafts attached to ocean floor) that are designed and strategically placed to attract fish is prohibited.

Fishing Vessels >2Gross Ton: Fishing Vessels >2GT are not permitted to conduct fishing activities within Marine Protected Areas. Fishing Vessels <2GT are permitted to conduct fishing activities within the Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Zones, subject to permits and sustainable management regulation.

Fishing with SCUBA diving equipment: using SCUBA diving equipment for spearfishing or any other capture or collection of marine species is prohibited.

Sero: a traditional trap typically consisting of an array of fences that guide fish towards the trap. Existing Sero are permitted in accordance with regulation. The installation of any new Sero is not permitted.

Other nets and traps: Use of Muroami and gill nets is prohibited. (Traditional ‘bubu’ fishing traps are permitted in the Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Sub-zones, and as long as there are permits from the local community members and are subject to catch quota. ‘Jala’ and ‘Jaring Belo’ is permitted in the Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture Zones, as long as there are permits from the local community members and in accordance with Zoning Regulation and any other relevant regulation).

Catching Crabs and Prawns: is prohibited in Core Zones and No Take Zones. (Catching crabs and prawns is permitted in the Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Sub-zones, as long as there are permits from the local community members and in accordance with Zoning Regulation and any other relevant regulation)

Bameti: the collection of fish, molluscs and crustaceans from reef flats at low tide is prohibited in Core Zones and No Take Zones. Bameti is permitted in the Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture Sub-zones, as long as there are permits from the local community members and in accordance with Zoning Regulation and any other relevant regulation. Bameti fishing must not use any tools and methods that can damage coral reefs.

Capture of Ornamental Fish: the capture of any fish with the intention to use or sell for ornamental purposes is prohibited.

Aquaculture

Cultivation of Pearls: pearl farming is prohibited in all Zones, with the exception of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Zones, and after obtaining the required operational permits.

Fish Farms: fish farming (all species) is prohibited in all Zones,with the exception of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Zones, and after obtaining the required operational permits.

Ponds and Dams: constructing ponds or dams for the purpose of cultivating fish or other marine species is prohibited.

Damaging Coral

Damaging coral in any way is forbidden. This includes damage caused by stepping or walking on coral and coral reefs, cutting, moving or removing coral, boat strike or anchor damage to coral reefs, grafitti, defacing or writing on coral, or any other form of behavior that results in damage or destruction of coral.

Removal of Coral

The collection and removal of coral, dead or alive is forbidden.

Jetskis and Motorised Water Sports

It is prohibited to use jet-skis or any form of motorized water sport within the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Collecting and removal of natural objects

The collection of natural objects (marine or terrestrial, living or dead), such as shells, fish, seahorses, coral or wood, for intended removal from Raja Ampat or Indonesia is prohibited within Raja Ampat Marine Park.

Collecting and removal of historical or cultural objects

The collection and removal of historical and cultural objects prohibited.

Mangrove Felling

The cutting or removal of mangroves is forbidden.

Sand Mining

The extraction of sand from beaches, sea bed or any other location, for use in manufacturing or construction is forbidden.