Review: The role of local belief and wisdom of the Bajo community in marine conservation efforts

Abstract. Maulidyna A, Hartawan BS, Agustin HN, Irfan AN, Septiasari A, Utina R, Setyawan AD. 2019. Review: The role of local belief and wisdom of the Bajo Community in marine conservation efforts. Intl J Bonorowo Wetlands 11: 48-63. The Bajo tribe are originally sea nomads, living in eastern Indonesia, South Philippines and North Borneo. They are identified by their marine culture and sama language. They have similarities with the Orang Laut tribe in western Indonesia and the Moken tribe in the Mergui Archipelago in terms of exploring the seas. Today, most Bajo ethnic groups no longer wander on houseboat and live in a certain place, although they still preserve maritime culture, they have similar social and cultural features, including shared shipbuilding and fishing, traditions, beliefs and myths. The Bajo tribe who live from marine natural resources have a close relationship with the marine and coastal environment, so that it raises the values of environmental concern in maintaining the sea and coast. This study aims to determine the environmental conservation of the Bajo tribe based on their beliefs. The Bajo tribe is one of the tribal communities that manage, maintain and utilize marine biological resources based on cultural norms and values that have been institutionalized and attached to the Bajo community, and are maintained through social control based on their belief system. This belief brings the Bajo people to fear breaking the taboo or pamali that has existed since their ancestors orally and from generation to generation. The Bajo people have wisdom to protect the marine environment, namely corals, mangroves, and marine resources. They have a high concern for preserving coral reefs as a buffer for the underwater ecosystem, and they are very aware of the need to preserve the sources that are the basis of their livelihood fulfillment.