The risk of dispossesion in the Aquapelago: A coral reef restoration case study in the Spermonde islands

Abstract

Drawing on an ethnographic case study concerning fears of dispossession, corporate social responsibility and coral reef restoration (CRR), this article examines the socio-cultural dynamics related to an ongoing corporate-led CRR initiative located on a small coral island in the Spermonde archipelago of Indonesia. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted on 154 households in villages on the island where the program was implemented and on 3 neighbouring islands. By analysing the narratives of local people from the immediate and surrounding communities, this article describes the inter-and intra-village perceptions of the significance and impact of CRR on local wellbeing. Respondents from across the island community revealed varying degrees of feelings of vulnerability, fear and disempowerment. Despite the company's best intentions to create a monetary-based, community-supported conservation program, the transactional relation that has developed between the community and the company has slowly evolved into fears of multiple forms of dispossession. Initially viewed as a source of supplementary income, the project is now viewed by some members of the community as a process through which local people have sold their rights to marine territories that they once managed. Moreover, the restoration infrastructure that is anchored to the seafloor is perceived as real and physical evidence of the company's claims to spatial ownership. This fear extends beyond their surrounding seascape, and some islanders are concerned that territorial claims will eventually encroach on the island itself. It is uncertain whether the CRR project will be able to positively influence this developing local narrative. This study highlights the importance of examining aquapelagic social complexities, historical context and micro-political systems at the local level in order to understand evolving realities in the Anthropocene that affect marine conservation outcomes.