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

Abstract

Abstract. Maulidyna A, Hartawan BS, Agustin HN, Irfan AN, Septiasari A, Utina R, Setyawan AD. 2021. 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. Their maritime culture and sama language identify them. 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 houseboats and live in a particular 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 living from marine natural resources closely relates to the marine and coastal environment. 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 institutionalized and attached to the Bajo community. They 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 the wisdom to protect the marine environment, namely corals, mangroves, and marine resources. They have a deep concern for preserving coral reefs as a buffer for the underwater ecosystem. They are very aware of the need to protect the sources that are the basis of their livelihood fulfillment.