Bali News / Bali Travel and Holiday Updates

Tourism industry in Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida is showing positive progress. Strengthening the island as a tourist destination is shown by establishment of numerous tourism attractions. Investors start to come to put their money into the lucrative potentials. Consequently more local residents change their profession. Seaweed farming which has been left for tourism jobs.

Nusa Lembongan is occupled by 1,119 households, all of which are seaweed farmers. Seaweed has been the main and only commodity of the island. Unfortunately such a potential product does not fit tourism industry. Tourism industry and seaweed farming has different way, even contrary to each other. Components of tourism industry has no intention to take seaweed as a special attraction for visiting tourists. Growth of tourism industry does not support the same growth in seaweed farming. In many case presence of seaweed in the waters considered as irritation for tourists. Without proper approeach to maintain harmonious situation, tourism can grow into a serious threat to seaweed farming.

The better tourism industry grows, the more local residents to change their profession. Tourism is potentially taking over seaweed farming. The situation was worsened by the fact that the government of Klungkung Regency who has the island in its administration does not have clear plan on space alocation for each activities. The village head of Lembongan, Nyoman Murta, admitted that there are no clear allocation of areas for tourism developments such as accommodation and for seaweed farming.

Another evidence on absence of synergy between tourism and the original activity of local residents which is seaweed farming is that most of accommodation facilities do not have waste water treatment. Waste water is just flown to the sea, resulting in negative impact to seaweed cultivation. “If we let it to continue this way, seweed farming will fail to crop,” said Wayan Suarbawa. Total seaweed production from Nusa Penida islands ranges between 90 to 104 ton annually, 20-30 percent of which is contributed by Nusa Lembongan.

A plan to build a seaweed processing plant to produce intermediate product has once introduced by the government of Klungkung Regency through its Industry and Trade Office. However so far there has been no evidence of implementation.