Getting to Know the Taka Bonerate National Park

The status of the Taka Bonerate area began as a nature reserve through the Decree of the Minister of Forestry No. 100/kpts-II/1989. The area is designated as a Marine Nature Reserve because the stretch of coral is in the form of a ring (atoll) and there are special/unique habitats as well as coral reef ecosystems, seagrass for research, science, education, cultivation, tourism and recreation purposes.

In 1992, Taka Bonerate was later designated a national park based on the Decree of the Minister of Forestry No. 280/kpts-II/1992. Then in 2001 it became the Water Nature Conservation Area of ​​the Taka Bonerate National Park through the Decree of the Minister of Forestry No. 92/KPTS-II/2001 with an area of ​​530,765 hectares managed by a zoning system.

In 2015, the international agency UNESCO also established the Taka Bonerate National Park area as the core zone of the biosphere reserve which covers an area of ​​one district of the Selayar Islands named the Taka Bonerate Biosphere Reserve - Selayar Islands.

Indonesian Edition: Mengenal Taman Nasional Taka Bonerate

Taka Bonerate National Park itself consists of 18 small islands, 5 bungins and 30 takas scattered to form a ring / atoll. There are 7 inhabited islands, namely Tarupa Island, Small Rajuni Island, Big Rajuni Island, Big Latondu Island, Jinato Island, Central Pasitallu Island, and East Pasitallu Island. Inhabited by the majority of the Bugis and Bajo tribes.

By tracing the history, Taka Bonerate was formerly known as Tijger Eilanden (Netherlands) if translated into Indonesian it is the Macan Islands (Map 1901 - KITLV Leiden). Then after being designated as a conservation area, the name changed to Taka Bonerate which was taken from the local language (Taka: Karang, Bone: Sand, Rate: Atas) which literally means "Coral Expanse on the Sand".

According to the information from local people, from the past even from the Dutch era until now, this area is often visited by fishermen from various regions and even from neighboring provinces because of its fishery potential. Likewise, the fishermen of Taka Bonerate travel to other areas to sell their marine products.

Read: Hunting for the 'bridal veil' in Karimunjawa National Park

So, the fishery sector in Taka Bonerate has been developing well for a long time. It is hoped that in the future the tourism sector can develop well so that Taka Bonerate can be better known even abroad.***