Floating dreamily on Bali’s eastern horizon is the long silhouette of Nusa Penida island. Separated from Bali by a strait 100 metres deep, this arid island roughly marks the division between Asia and Oceania. As the Balinese say, “Here, the tigers end.” The Bali tiger became extinct 100 years ago. But hopefully, Nusa Penida may soon be the only place in the world where the all-but-extinct Bali Starling, Bali’s only indigenous bird, will be a common sight.
The island was once the Siberia of Bali, where criminals and political agitators were banished for life. There wasn’t even radio communication between Nusa Penida and Bali until 1985. Swift currents and large swells ensured that there was not much movement between the islands. Centuries of isolation created a unique culture. Here, the house and temple architecture and dances are different from those in Bali, and even the Balinese language spoken here is the ancient vernacular.
Life is hard on Nusa Penida. Those lucky enough to live near the sea can fish or raise seaweed for sale. Those in the interior live from the unproductive land, where the most abundant resource is stones. Only the hardiest crops like corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts and cassava grow in the thin soil, and there are no rivers or streams for irrigation.
But Nusa Penida may be on the brink of a bright new era. A team of dedicated visionaries is drawing up a master plan to make Nusa Penida an eco-tourism destination showcasing the rare and beautiful Bali Starling and other endangered birds.
Before 2004, there were no significant NGO conservation efforts on the island. Apart from a small group of textile producers, there were no cultural or community programs. The Bali tourism industry considered Nusa Penida a poor, dry, uninteresting place to visit.
That was the year Dr Bayu Wirayudha, a veterinarian, Bali Starling expert and Director of Friends of the National Parks Foundation (FNPF), turned his gaze to the all-but-forgotten island to Bali’s east. He’d set up a successful private Bali Starling conservation program with the Begawan Giri Foundation (BGF) and was looking for a safe place to release the breeding birds.
Technically, the Bali Starling is extinct; its numbers in the wild can no longer sustain the population. Although West Bali National Park is a sanctuary for the bird, it seems impossible to control constant poaching for the illegal pet trade that prevent the population from increasing. There’s still a demand for Bali Starlings on the island itself as well as on neighboring Java, where birds end up as living trophies in the homes of wealthy and powerful Indonesians. Bird watchers from all over the world traveling to the park for a glimpse of the rare starling in the wild are usually disappointed.
But under Bayu’s care the little white bird throve and bred freely in the BGF aviaries. “My knowledge of the Bali Starling and other birds comes not from academia, but from the poachers,” states Bayu, who’s been breeding birds since childhood. “They’re the best ornithologists.”
Bayu negotiated an unprecedented deal with the villages of Nusa Penida to protect the birds from poachers. All 36 communities on the island agreed to abide by awig awig, a traditional law which places the birds under the protection of the temple and, by extension, its members. This is the first time in Indonesia that local community members have been trained to and are actively participating in the protection of released birds. Bayu went on to establish Indonesia’s first bird sanctuary in a populated area, proving that wildlife and people can live harmoniously together. The Indonesian President released several Bali Starlings here in 2007, giving credibility to a program that had been operating outside the box until then.
Finally, a safe haven for the Bali Starling -- not one bird has been poached, and about 100 Bali Starlings now live and breed freely on the island. Bayu’s goal is a population of 300 birds in the next five years.
The next step was to begin creating a habitat that would provide food, shelter and nesting areas for a greater bird population while regenerating the land and preventing erosion. The local government gave 100 hectares of degraded land to the FNPF to manage. Over 100,000 tree seedlings and 8,000 bamboo seedlings have been distributed and planted since 2004 with an 80% survival rate, with 340,000 more planned for the next five years.
Within five years, the Nusa Penida Bird Sanctuary Project has become a model for integrated conservation work with the support and involvement of local community members. This inspired Bayu to approach several retired professional expats in Bali with his vision of creating an eco-destination on Nusa Penida which would provide greater prosperity for its people and a sanctuary for Bali’s indigenous birds. They are now seeking a fundraiser to manifest their vision.
“Nusa Penida will be the only place on this planet where the Bali Starling can be readily seen in large numbers in natural surroundings,” predicts branding authority Ian Batey, author of ‘Asian Branding’ and creator of the Singapore Girl for Singapore Airlines. “This unique experience alone could rapidly advance the island into one the the world’s most appealing eco- destinations. “
The next five-year vision includes a much expanded tree and bamboo nursery to generate forests on Nusa Penida. Healthy forests create micro-climates and attract rain. By planting trees for medicine, wood, fodder, carving materials, fruit, dyes, honey production and other uses, sustainable harvests can contribute to greater prosperity in the community.
Several eco-lodges constructed from local materials are on the drawing board, as is a conservation education centre at the FNPF field office. Bayu plans to launch a radio station which will combine conservation information and entertainment. Further employment will be created by establishing a batik centre where natural dyes are used, and a shop to sell the products. A cultural centre is planned where Nusa Penida’s unique dance forms will be preserved. All this in addition to Nusa Penida’s snorkeling, diving, sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, prehistoric stone artifacts and spectacular caves could offer a very attractive tourist destination by 2013.
There may not be tigers on this hot, sleepy island. But once these visions become reality, they will never be missed.
The plan to put Nusa Penida on the world tourism map, secure a genuine sanctuary for the Bali Starling and generate sustainable livelihoods for the island’s population can only be realized with appropriate funding. Offers of financial and technical support can be directed to David at surfco692000@yahoo.co.uk
