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International Journal of Marine Science 2014, Vol.4, No.22, 197-209
http://ijms.biopublisher.ca
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(Bappeda, 2012). This geographical fact makes the
islands as insular region that is dominated by sea.
It is surrounded by ocean; it has limited transportation
that makes difficult to reach, and therefore the only
transportation are scheduled by ferry, boat, and plane.
However, it depends on the weather. Mostly, seafaring
connection between Karimunjawa islands to Jepara or
Semarang will be disturbed in the western monsoon
on October-April, crossing activity is also disable
during this season. This condition is often referred to
as isolated islands when shipping and trading activity
does not exist. It will make difficult for islanders to
access outside to meet their needs such as buying
foodstuffs, selling their fish, and difficult for bringing
others of daily needs from Java.
Karimunjawa islands has very potential on natural
resources, especially in fisheries, it is provide
livelihood for local people to survive. Until 2013, fish
production total in Karimunjawa reach about 14.879
tons per year (Bappeda, 2012) The catches are often
bringing directly to Semarang, Pekalongan, Jakarta,
even Banjarmasin. It is reinforces that Karimunjawa
islands has strategic geographical position and enable
for local people to access and interact with other people
as outer island. It gives logical consequences that
Karimunjawa islands now become a place of illegal
fishing in a forbidden manner, such as trawling, etc.
Since 1986, Karimunjawa islands has been designated
as a preservation area by labeling as Karimunjawa
National Park. Later in 2005, the government divided
the Karimunjawa territorial waters into 7 zones, they
are; core zone, utilization of traditional fisheries zone,
protection, utilization of tourism, residential, and
rehabilitation zone (Ministry of Forestry, 2009). It has
been giving impact to local people especially for their
economic activity, such as any limitation of fishing
area and fishing gears. Since this rules enactment,
fishing location activity become further away from
zoning area. In addition, in 2001 Karimunjawa islands
was officially designated as tourist destination.
Recently, around 80.000 tourists in 2013 have been
visited Karimunjawa islands therefore this island has
been growing rapidly.
3.2 Historical Context
The most important things to know is that the islands
have a fairly long history in line with development of
Java as a centre of civilization in XVII century. It
started with the presence of Islam during
Walisongo
(the nine saints of Islamic priest) period until the
almost forgotten memory about the legacy of colonial
era. There are some strategic factors that made
Karimunjawa was important as one of the centres for
Islamization and one of the goals of migration for
some maritime ethnic groups in the Archipelago.
Local story said that the establishment of communities
in Karimunjawa started during Islamization period, it
was not obviously non sense. There was two indicated
strategic factors of the importance of Karimunjawa in
that time; (1) Karimunjawa
geographical fact was
dominated by the seas. (2) It had a strategic position
as one of supply chain which connected of two
important ports in the Archipelago, they were Demak
(especially in Jepara port) and Banjarmasin. At the
time of Demak Sultanate, Jepara was the dwelling of
traders and sailors, as a port city, located on a safe
point, they preferred went to Jepara instead to Demak
(Sulistiyono, 2006).
Karimunjawa Island in colonial era was known as
Paradijs op Java
or Paradise of Java because its
beauty or panorama of the islands (Berg, 1992). This
island history has not been revealed yet, including a
fact that previously Karimunjawa islands was a transit
of shipping lanes and trade that it will be heading to
the east, and from the north coast of Java to the south
coast of Borneo. In fact, the Karimunjawa’s name has
repeatedly referred by the British and Portuguese sailors
in their sea navigation route (Bouganville et al., 1838).
According to Dutch scholars Karimunjawa is a village
which has historical and social backgrounds that has
been there since the last 175 years (Berg, 1992). It
started in 1817 when C. R van Michalofski was sent
by resident of Semarang as a
posthouder
in a duty to
control pirates hegemony around the Java Sea. It was
because of shipping route in configuration of
inter-island or inter-regional shipping created a danger
potential pirates activity, nor in the Java Sea.
Historically this island was also a favorite spot for
Borneo and Bugis pirates as safe harbor and ideal
place for a break.
The mid of XIX, the Resident in Semarang planned to
have a mission to build a government system.
Karimunjawa began to start in pacification project by