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Mr. Bapak Agung Prana's Opening Remarks,
Biorock Workshop,
February 2004

 His Excellency the Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Gede Ardika,

The Mayor of North Bali, Mr. Bagiada

The chairmen of Bali Tourism Board, Indonesian Hotel Association,

The Association of Indonesian Travel Agency (ASITA), Bali Guide Association (HPI)

 Ladies and gentlemen, distinguish guests

 Om Swasti Astu,

 We are most grateful that we have with us today many honorable guests attending the opening ceremony for the Biorock Seminar on Reef Building and Ecology. This workshop will take place at Taman Sari Bali Cottages for 12 days, from January 12 to the 24th, 2004. The honorable participants are :

  1. The village chief of Adat and Dinas which are neighboring villages in Bali Barat (West Bali)
  2. The Pecalang (marine security) of coastal village potential
  3. The district Mayor of Buleleng (North Bali) and Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism
  4. The Department of Marine Affair and Fishery
  5. The Association of Tourist Industry
  6. University Students from all over Indonesia as well as overseas

 The Objective of the workshop:

  1. To maintain and to improve concept of environmental development
  2. To promote and expand a marine project to be implemented all over Bali and throughout the country
  3. Community public education
  4. Consolidation support and recognition from all the stakeholders

 We also have present during the occasion:

  1. Professor Wolf Hilbertz, The President of Sea and Sun
  2. Dr Tom Goreau, the President of The Global Coral Reef Alliance
  3. Prof Sastrawan from Udayana State University

 The coral conservation project was developed and integrated in the area of West Bali, the village of Pemuteran, and has reached a certain level of its success. The project is based upon an unusual concept and strategy:

  1. Community-based participation and empowerment
  2. Adopting and implementing the local genius concept
  3. Triangle cooperative of the Government and the Industry and the community adopted as pilot project

 The workshop is organized and funded by the village and Industry (resorts and dive shops) and also supported by volunteers and scientists such as:

  1. Narayanadeva, Rani, Tom Goreau and Wolf Hilbertz
  2. Matahari Beach (Paul)
  3. Pondok Sari
  4. Chris Brown (ReefSeen)

If we recall, in early 1988, Pemuteran village was characterized by:

  1. Lots of poverty
  2. limited facilities
  3. lack of water (which cause a destructive attitude regarding the environment)
  4. No fish and no coral
  5. Low property values

 The founding father and the pioneer of this area of Bali are the three musketeers—myself, Chris Brown and Diana. Together, we created the mission impossible

 Our commitment to restore and preserve nature paid off. We are pleased it was blessed and supported so much by super-natural and spiritual beings.

 We believe the key factor of our success was the “Community” and its participation in our project. After about eight months, we suddenly became the Pemuteran villagers’ teachers, giving them basic knowledge about tourism and of English, as means of communicating with our guests.

We are here to share our experiences and views about the positive aspects of tourism.

The statement of Mr Ardika impressed us that tourism, developed and managed correctly, could form the best tool for conservation of the environment

 The project:

  1. Integrated by Ministry of tourism and sea potential
  2. Recognitions and awards
  3. Participation of Pecalang (The marine security)

Bapak Agung Prana is the owner of Taman Sari and President of the Bali Hotel and ASITA, Association of Indonesian Travel Agents and a United Nations Sasakawa Environmental award nominee