Indigenous Knowledge in Marine Ecotourism Development: The Case of Sasi Laut, Misool, Indonesia

This study explores the complexities of integrating indigenous knowledge and practices into a sustainable marine ecotourism development. The integration of indigenous knowledge is a means of enabling active participation from the local communities in marine ecotourism development whilst conserving the biodiversity and safeguarding cultural landscapes and traditions. Alongside observations, forty-seven semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted with community members on an Indonesian island. Narrative analysis utilising a thematic approach explored the participants’ viewpoints on how “sasi laut” (a traditional form of marine resource management) can be integrated into marine ecotourism development on Misool, which is located in the Raja Ampat islands of West Papua, Indonesia. The findings revealed that the arrangement of a concession agreement between marine ecotourism operators and the local indigenous community enabled the integration of sasi laut in marine ecotourism sites. The end result is that the marine life can be protected for its biodiversity values, which the tourists can appreciate whilst the local community members could continue traditional fishing or resource use in a manner that was sustainable to them.