Kaombo

The Sarano Wali Indigenous Community has local wisdom in managing natural resources known as Kaombo. The term Kaombo comes from the Cia-cia language meaning 'prohibition'—which refers to the prohibition activities in a designated area of sea, coast, or land established by the Indigenous Community/Customary Institution of Sarano Wali through consensus, which if violated will incur customary sanctions. Symbolically, Kaombo means 'forbidden area for taking'. The Sarano Wali Indigenous Community divides its territory based on function. Areas divided based on the needs of a particular indigenous group for management are called 'Kadie'. Meanwhile, areas designated by the Sarano Wali Customary Institution for management are called 'Kaombo'. Some locations that have been designated as Kaombo include: Forest (bela’a); Lapungga; Mbarambara Beach; Mangrove Forest; Coastal and sandy areas (coral reefs); and private land known as Hamota. The coastal Kaombo has a tidal distance to the land of 7 meters.

Kaombo has been managed as a protected area by the Sarano Wali Customary Institution since around 1950. In the years 1950-1960, Sarano Wali successfully implemented Kaombo management with rules agreed upon by the Sarano Wali Indigenous Community, which later became known as the Kasawa Culadha Tape-Tape book. Then, from 1960 to 2007, the Kaombo system disappeared due to the dissolution of the Lakina system (customary leader of Sarano Wali) and the formation of villages and village heads appointed by the community. In 2008-2013, the Kaombo system re-emerged after being revitalized and initiated by Coremap Phase II through the DPL program, with the DPL location in Topamata. The Wali customary system re-emerged with a leadership pattern of Dapura three pillars (Lurah, Lakina, and Imam). Then, in 2014, the socialization phase about Kaombo was conducted at the village office. Eventually, the Sarano Wali Indigenous Community obtained a legal basis for the Protection and Management of Coastal and Marine Resources Based on the Customary Law of Sarano Wali of Binongko Island in Wakatobi Regency through Wakatobi Regent Regulation Number 29 of 2019.

The practice of managing Kaombo is also driven by the issue of illegal activities against natural resources, such as many fishermen catching natural resources in the coastal areas of Binongko Island using environmentally unfriendly fishing gear like potassium and bombs. In strengthening the institutional capacity of Kaombo Sarano Wali, there are NGOs involved in the strengthening based on the same vision, namely WWF Indonesia. WWF Indonesia plays a role in facilitating the strengthening of customary institutions, socializing management based on customary regulations, and encouraging the Sarano Wali Indigenous Community to conduct participatory mapping of customary areas to obtain rights as Indigenous Peoples.

The Sarano Wali Indigenous Community understands Kaombo as three parts/types, namely:

1. Village Kaombo, which is an area designated by the indigenous community to be protected, closed, and prohibited from taking natural resources in that area until a mutually agreed time limit.
2. Private Kaombo, which is an area designated as a no-take area for private property, such as fruiting/flowering trees, and similar plants without the owner's permission.
3. Coastal Kaombo, which is a coastal area closed by customary agreement and opened (can be extracted) based on customary decisions.

There are rules governing the utilization of natural resources in Kaombo Sarano Wali. Anyone or a group of people who take and damage natural resources (SDA) at sea such as:

• All types of clams, sanctioned (karambici) 25 bhoka/individual = Rp 600,000,-
• Turtles (green turtles and hawksbill turtles) or similar, sanctioned (karambici) 150 bhoka/individual = Rp 3,600,000,-
• Turtle eggs (green turtles and hawksbill turtles) or similar, sanctioned (karambici) 25 bhoka/egg = Rp 600,000,-
• Dolphins, Whales (Bungkulawa), and Dugongs (Dhiu), sanctioned (karambici) 250 bhoka/individual = Rp 6,000,000,-
• Coral roots (pantoga), sanctioned (karambici) 15 bhoka/tree = Rp 360,000,-
• Coral stones (sahasa), sanctioned (karambici) 42 bhoka/stick = Rp 1,008,000,-
• Fish bombs, sanctioned (karambici) 1042 bhoka/violation = Rp 25,008,000,-
• Potassium, sanctioned (karambici) 280 bhoka/violation = Rp 6,720,000,-
• Poison roots, sanctioned (karambici) 100 bhoka/stick = Rp 2,400,000,-
• Using compressors to harvest marine products, sanctioned (karambici) 1042 bhoka = Rp 25,008,000,-

Anyone or a group of people who take and damage natural resources (SDA) on land such as:

• Sand and rocks on the beach of yoro wa ode gowa and mbarambara sanctioned (karambici) 250 bhoka = Rp 6,000,000,-
• Mangroves or similar sanctioned (karambici) per stick 250 bhoka = Rp 6,000,000,-
• All protected forests in the Wali environment sanctioned (karambici) 250 bhoka = Rp 6,000,000,-
• Wood growing in community gardens without the owner's permission sanctioned (karambici) 250 bhoka = Rp 6,000,000,-
• All types of birds sanctioned (karambici) 100 bhoka/individual = Rp 2,400,000,-
• Crabs (tegasi) sanctioned (karambici) 100 bhoka/individual = Rp 2,400,000,-
• Taking sand between the swamp beach to the book must ask for permission from the owner and the sarano adat wali, and for those who violate, sanctioned (karambici) 10 bhoka/can = Rp 240,000,-
• Destroying sara forests and/or damaging the sea with potassium, bombs, and similar items after signing a statement not to do it again, sanctioned (karambici) 2x the first bhoka,-
• Mining sand/rocks that can cause beach erosion, sanctioned (karambici) return all stolen goods and pay 75 bhoka = Rp 1,800,000,-
• Stealing/taking someone else's property without the owner's knowledge, sanctioned (karambici) return all stolen goods and pay 75 bhoka = Rp 1,800,000,-
• Illegal fishing (outside fishermen/circle), sanctioned 350 bhoka = Rp 8,400,000,-

Prohibition for all communities, both local and outsiders, regarding natural resources both land and sea. The Sarano Wali Indigenous Community agrees through its customary deliberations that the locations designated as Kaombo according to community agreements are: 1) La pungga (Forest); 2) Rausa Mangge-Mangge (Mangrove); 3) Sampea Bucer; 4) Bhelaa (Mbara-Mbara); 5) Wee (Oihu); 6) Coastal and sea areas of Buku (Mbara-Mbara). Those who commit violations (stealing or taking without the permission of the Sarano Wali Customary Institution will be sanctioned and fined by the customary law enforcer (Sara Hukumu). Sara is the party entrusted to decide or manage an area with an institutional system and customary values. An area can be managed by the indigenous community if it has been decided by the Sarano Wali Customary Institution through customary deliberations in Baruga (customary meeting hall).

The Sarano Wali Community with the management of Kaombo natural resources is one example of a customary coastal management area. The management carried out is a combination of ecosystem regulation to maintain biodiversity, the cultural values of the local community, and binding institutions that are formed, agreed upon, and implemented together by the community. The Kaombo practice contributes to the increase of fish and other biota around the Kaombo area—which symbolizes the protection of fish spawning grounds and coral growth. In addition, this practice can reduce issues related to excessive (exploitative) marine resource extraction—utilization becomes more orderly for the interests of customs/culture. This Kaombo practice also contributes to knowledge as there are parties researching the local knowledge practices of the Sarano Wali Community and has the potential to create food security sources for the Sarano Wali Community while also serving as subjects managing conservation areas.

The management practices of Kaombo by the Sarano Wali Indigenous Community have been regulated in Customary Regulations through the Sarano Wali Customary Decision Number 189.1/02/Adat/2013. The Kaombo area is included in the protected waters of the Wakatobi National Park Tourism Zone (BTNW). The management practices of Kaombo have been established through Wakatobi Regent Regulation Number 29 of 2019 concerning the Protection and Management of Coastal and Marine Resources Based on the Customary Law of Sarano Wali of Binongko Island in Wakatobi Regency.