Komodo mooring buoys expand, but 2018 20-site plan remains unclear

Labuan Bajo — — A 2018 tourism initiative to expand mooring buoy facilities around Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park has left no clear public record of a specific 20-buoy programme, but official and conservation sources confirm a broader effort to add and maintain moorings to protect coral reefs from boat anchoring.

In mid-2018, the Ministry of Transportation highlighted Labuan Bajo’s role as a priority tourism gateway ahead of the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bali, noting work with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and Komodo National Park to install mooring buoys for visiting vessels and dive boats.

According to the ministry’s briefing, Komodo National Park had 28 existing mooring buoys by 2018, with plans to add another 5–7 that year and a stated long-term need for around 50 buoys to provide safer mooring and reduce anchor damage in key reef and diving areas.

The 2018 expansion push

The 2018 government narrative placed Labuan Bajo among Indonesia’s leading tourism destinations targeted for infrastructure improvements linked to the IMF–World Bank meetings and subsequent visitor growth.

The maritime-focused briefing described mooring buoys as critical to sustainable tourism, explaining that properly placed buoys help vessels position themselves without dropping anchors directly onto coral ridges or shallow reef structures.

A marketing article published days later reported that 20 mooring buoy locations were planned inside Komodo National Park, framed as part of efforts to improve access for marine tourism while limiting reef damage from tourist boats.

That article did not provide a site-by-site breakdown, technical specifications or a formal implementation schedule, and it did not cite an installation contract or regulatory instrument making buoy use mandatory for operators.

What is documented about mooring buoys in Komodo

Independent conservation reporting shows that mooring buoy installation in Komodo National Park is a longer-running programme that pre-dates the 2018 tourism push.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reported that by late 2015, 19 mooring buoys had been installed at 19 sites in Komodo National Park, in phases completed in January 2014 and February 2015.

WWF described the buoys as a “little savior” for the park’s reefs, stating that the installations were intended to prevent anchors from damaging coral while supporting dive tourism in high-use sites.

More recent information from the Directorate-General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (KSDAE) at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry confirms ongoing maintenance of mooring facilities within the park.

KSDAE reported monitoring and maintenance activities in eight Komodo National Park locations, including Loh Buaya, Padar Selatan, Long Beach, Pink Beach, Loh Kubu, Loh Kita, Gili Lawa Darat and Gili Lawa Laut, and noted that 21 mooring points were recorded across all designated mooring locations inside the park.

These official figures indicate that, as of the ministry’s report, Komodo National Park had at least 21 documented mooring installations, though the publication did not link them to a specific “20 locations” plan or provide a chronology matching the 2018 tourism narratives.

Labuan Bajo bay and private moorings

Separate from the national park, Labuan Bajo’s harbor and adjacent bay host a mix of anchoring practices and locally laid moorings.

A 2026 marina and waterfront guide notes fields of locally installed moorings used by traditional phinisi fleets and tourist vessels, describing them as a mix of engineered systems and informal or “heritage” installations.

The guide advises visiting yachts to inspect mooring hardware and seek direct confirmation from operators before relying on local moorings, highlighting ongoing concerns about safety and potential seabed damage in shallow areas with seagrass or coral patches.

What remains unclear about the “20-buoy” plan

Available public sources confirm that mooring buoys are in place and being expanded within Komodo National Park and that Labuan Bajo is treated as a priority tourism and marine gateway, but they do not establish a detailed 20-site implementation plan, completion record or enforcement regime specific to the 2018 announcement.

None of the reviewed material sets out a definitive list of the 20 mooring locations referenced in 2018, identifies a single lead agency for long-term maintenance of those specific sites, or documents regulations that make the use of park or bay moorings compulsory for all tourist boats.

The most recent official maintenance report confirms 21 mooring points inside Komodo National Park, suggesting a network that has evolved through multiple phases rather than a single discrete 20-location project.

For operators and visitors, this means that mooring buoys are available at several named sites in the park and in local mooring fields around Labuan Bajo, but publicly accessible records do not yet offer a comprehensive, authoritative map or rule set covering all planned and existing mooring locations.

Sources

• Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia – "Labuan Bajo Menyambut Pertemuan Tahunan IMF dan World Bank"
• Marketeers – "World Class Destination, Status Labuan Bajo Kini"
• WWF Indonesia – "Mooring Buoy, the Little Savior of Komodo National Park"
• KSDAE, Ministry of Environment and Forestry – "Memantau Mooring Buoys di Delapan Lokasi TN Komodo"
• Labuan Bajo Waterfront Marina Area Guide