Derawan Islands

The Derawan Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Derawan) are in the province of East Kalimantan in Indonesia. They include Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban, Maratua, Panjang, and Samama Island and submerged reefs and islets. They are located in the Sulawesi Sea, on the coastal shelf of East Kalimantan (2°17'N - 118°13'E).

Biodiversity

Located in a biodiversity hotspot, the Derawan Islands feature 872 species of reef fishes, 507 species of coral, and invertebrates, including protected species (5 giants clam species, 2 sea turtles, coconut crab, etc). Some of the islands harbor the heavily exploited turtle eggs and yet the largest green turtle nesting site in Indonesia.

Resources Use

There are two inhabited islands, namely Derawan (1 village of 1,259 people) and Maratua (4 villages of 2,704 people). Fishing is an important income-generating activity for the community. Since the early 1990s, people have caught live groupers, napoleon wrasse, and lobsters, to fill high demand. There are 3 dive resorts on Derawan Islands , while more additional resorts or facilities are in the planning process.

Problems

Problems in Derawan Islands including:

• Overfishing and overexploitation, including turtle egg collection
• Destructive fisheries utilizing cyanide and explosives
• Environmental degradation caused by diving related activities and unsustainable tourism development, especially around the Kakaban lake
• The increase of sedimentation due to intensive logging activities in Berau estuary nearby and in the adjacent watershed areas.
• The increase of sewage pollution cased by growing human population on small islands and the intensive tourism development.

Since 2011, Berau Coal Diving Club has helped WWF to save the coral reefs of Derawan Island.^[1]

Islands

There are 31 named islands (see table)

Names of islands

No.	Island Name	Hectare (ha)
1.	Semut island	6.9
2.	Andongabu Island	5.3
3.	Bakungan Island	8.7
4.	Bantaian Island	230.6
5.	Besing Island	560.1
6.	Bonggong Island	123.2
7.	Bulingisan Island	4.5
8.	Derawan Island	44.6
9.	Maratua Island	2375.7
10.	Nunukan	4.8
11.	Panjang Island	565.4
12.	Rabu-rabu Island	26.7
13.	Sangalaki Island	15.9
14.	Sangalan Island	3.5
15.	Sapinang Island	241.3
16.	Semama Island	91.1
17.	Sidau Island	31.2
18.	Tiaung Island	372.5
19.	Pabahanan Island	2.0
20.	Kakaban	774.2
21.	Sodang Besar Island	6145.8
22.	Telasau Island	1080.0
23.	Tempurung Island	1291.2
24.	Bilang-bilangan Island	25.2
25.	Manimbora Island	2.0
26.	Blambangan Island	22.0
27.	Sambit Island	18.0
28.	Mataha Island	25.8
29.	Kaniungan Besar Island	73.3
30.	Kaniungan Kecil Island	10.2
31.	Bali Kukup Island	18.2

See also

• East Kalimantan
• Islands of Indonesia

References

1. ^ http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/17/diving-save-reefs-derawan.html

Coordinates: 2°15′N 118°25′E / 2.25°N 118.417°E / 2.25; 118.417