Misool Marine Reserve: a 300,000-acre marine conservation area patrolled by the Misool Ranger Patrol

at a glance

  • 300,000-acre privately funded marine reserve

  • Two No-Take Zones (NTZs)

  • Land and rights to sea leased from local community in 2005

  • All fishing and extractive practices banned, except concession for periodic traditional free-diving for molluscs (Sasi)

  • Protected by the Misool Ranger Patrol with support from the Indonesian Marine Police Unit (Polisi Air dan Udara)

    • 18 full-time, salaried Rangers

    • 3 permanent Ranger Stations

  • Known as Sub-Zona Pemanfaatan Terbatas untuk Pariwisata KKLD Misool Selatan in Indonesian

  • Located inside the government-managed Raja Ampat Marine Protected Area Network

establishing the misool marine reserve

Rampant shark finning and unchecked destructive fishing were destroying some of the most important and bio-diverse reefs on earth. In 2005, a powerful partnership between local communities and private enterprise (Misool Resort) resulted in the creation of the region's first No-Take Zone. 

Since then, the reserve has expanded and now encompasses a 300,000 acre/1220 sq km area in the heart of global marine biodiversity. The Reserve is comprised of 2 distinct No-Take Zones (NTZs) and a linking restricted-gear blue water corridor all of which are leased directly from the local villages.  

Inside the two NTZs, all extractive practices are prohibited. No fishing, no collecting turtle eggs, no reef bombing, no cyanide fishing, no netting, and no shark finning is allowed. Visitors to Misool remark on the incredible diversity of the reefs, and fishermen working outside the Misool Marine Reserve report better catch. 

The lease area includes the sea and reefs, as well all the islands such as Kalig, Yillet, Boo, Fiabacet, Batbitim, Kanim, Sapenipnu, Jef Gelu, and Warakaraket. 

misool ranger patrol

The Misool Marine Reserve is protected by the Misool Ranger Patrol.

Regulations are enforced, 24 hours a day, by a 18-person unit of local rangers. Rangers move between 3 stations using 5 dedicated patrol boats. Our Ranger Patrol team are all employed from the local area, some of whom have been with us since 2005.

The Ranger Patrol now conducts an average of 905 patrols annually, every day of the year. We intercept nearly 50 illegal fishing boats every year.

In addition to physical patrols, the Rangers also protect sea turtle nests and remove plastics and other trash from local beaches.

our marine reserve is working

We’ve been conducting scientific surveys to analyse fish biomass at several sites within the Misool Marine Reserve since 2007.

Comparison data shows that, on average, fish biomass increased by 248% between 2007 and 2021.

A separate 2012 study established that there are 25 times more sharks inside the Misool Marine Reserve than directly outside of it. 

The sub-population of mantas at Misool has doubled over 10 years. We currently have 1730 in our database.