Komodo National Park zoning: what each zone allows

Komodo National Park is managed through zones that apply different rules to land and sea, rather than as one area with identical access. The official park site says harvesting of living marine resources is allowed only in the Traditional Use and Pelagic Use zones, while tourism is prohibited in the Core Zone.

Why is the park divided into zones?

Zoning separates conservation, tourism, research, settlement and traditional-use objectives. According to the Komodo National Park authority’s zoning page, the system covers both terrestrial and marine habitats and assigns each habitat specific regulations.

The listed zone types include Core, Wilderness with Limited Tourism, Tourism Use, Traditional Use, Pelagic Use, Special Research and Training, and Traditional Settlement zones, according to the park authority.

Where are activities most restricted?

The Core Zone has the strictest tourism rule: tourism is prohibited there, according to the Komodo National Park authority. The authority also says the Core, Wilderness with Limited Tourism, Tourism Use and Special Research and Training zones are no-take zones where harvesting or mining of living and dead natural resources is prohibited.

That means a Tourism Use Zone is not a general-use area. It can permit tourism and, subject to an environmental impact assessment, temporary accommodation, while other activities remain prohibited, according to the same zoning rules.

Where can marine resources be harvested?

Harvesting living marine resources is permitted only in the Traditional Use Zone and the Pelagic Use Zone, according to the park authority. The rule distinguishes permitted resource use from unrestricted access: each zone still operates under its own regulations.

Ship passage is also differentiated. The park authority says free passage is permitted only in the Pelagic and Traditional Use zones; vessels entering the Wilderness Zone require special licences.

What do official government statistics show?

The Directorate General of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems recorded Komodo National Park zoning in its 2020 statistics publication, including 34,311.00 hectares of Core Zone and 22,187.00 hectares of Wilderness Zone, according to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

The same government publication identifies the park’s zoning decision as Director General of PHKA Decree 24/02/2012 and records the zoning framework as covering multiple functions. The figures describe officially recorded zones, not a calculation of total park area.

What does this mean for visitors and local users?

Access depends on the zone and the activity. Tourism, vessel movement, fishing or other resource use cannot be treated as having the same legal status throughout the park because the zoning rules assign different permissions and prohibitions to different areas.

The zoning page says special regulations and sub-zoning are to be designed for tourism in the Wilderness Zone with Limited Tourism. The practical rule is therefore location-specific: the permitted activity depends on the zone designation and the applicable licence or management requirement.

Sources

• Komodo National Park authority
• Directorate General