Bali is uniquely situated within ocean currents that promote thriving coral reefs. The island is home to over 2,200 species of coral reef fish, and over 400 species of corals. Until fairly recently, Bali was surrounded by rich coral reefs, particularly on the island’s North, East and Southern coasts.
Unfortunately, the use of coral as a building material in the past, together with destructive fishing practices and environmental pollution, have caused entire reefs to vanish from Bali’s coastline. Since 2010, LINI has been helping communities and marine ornamental fishers to restore reefs using artificial reef structures. The coral restoration project was implemented in Les village. The focus of this project is to restore fish populations and enhance habitats, so that these artificial reefs can provide alternative collection areas to reduce the fishing pressure on natural reefs. It also provides alternative income sources for fishers, allowing them to make and deploy the artificial substrates, build coral tables, and prepare coral plugs.
The Bali coral restoration project received support from Indonesian marine ornamental exporters, including PT Golden Marindo Persada, CV Cahaya Baru, CV Blue Star Aquatic, and PT Aneka Tirta Surya, Bali CC.