Indonesian Conservation
By: Nikka Gunadharma & Rens Lewerissa
That night, the sky over Meos Amboer Island, Raja Ampat, was so dark, it seemed to hide the stars behind a thin mist. But from behind the darkness of the coastal forest, a dim light from Headlamp led us to a rare experience: witnessing a nearly extinct giant-clawed animal. Its name is the coconut crab (Birgus latro).
"The first time I saw a coconut crab, I was a teenager, around 18," said Achim Mayor, or Aksim as he's usually called, as he adjusted the lamp on his head. Aksim wasn't just a tour guide that night. He was a storyteller, a protector of these shelled land giants, and a living witness to the changing perspectives on coconut crabs in his hometown, the Fam Islands, Raja Ampat.
Under the light of a flashlight, the halves of a coconut on the ground before us began to sway. Slowly, a large creature with two giant claws emerged from behind the foliage. Its body was covered in a hard shell, and between its faint red eyes, four antennae protruded actively. This was the coconut crab, also known as the world's largest land arthropod, a unique, rare, and increasingly difficult-to-find nocturnal creature.
But that night wasn't just about sightseeing. Aksim and his colleagues from the Karkara Weter Forest Farmers Group (KTH) were on a mission: to identify, record, and tag every coconut crab they encountered. Using rulers, scales, and marking paint, they documented claw length, body weight, sex, and location of discovery—all for one goal: conservation.
The local community's commitment to protecting coconut crabs hasn't been around for a long time. At one time, many residents of Saupapir Village, including Aksim, worked catching and selling coconut crabs. The reason was the attractive price. Just imagine, a large coconut crab could sell for up to IDR 500.000, which was enough to support a family. These crabs were often shipped via pioneer ships to North Maluku or sold directly to tourists visiting Raja Ampat.
"Now, let alone selling, we never even eat them, because we've already experienced the benefits of preserving coconut crabs." While there are still one or two people who sell them when someone orders them, since 2019, he and several of his friends have slowly changed. "We only get money once when (the coconut crabs) die, and then the day the coconut crabs become extinct. But by making coconut crabs a tourist attraction, the coconut crabs live and the benefits continue to come in," said Aksim with sparkling eyes.
The turning point in local behavior occurred in 2019, when the West Papua Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) and Conservation International (CI) Indonesia—which was later followed by Konservasi Indonesia (KI) in 2022—actively implemented a community-based approach. Together with the local government, KI organized animal protection awareness campaigns, established a community-based conservation group (KTH), and provided training on sustainable tourism. Coconut crab ecotourism was born, providing residents with a new way to earn income without having to kill this endangered species.
From 2020 until the end of last year, 412 international tourists and 12 domestic tourists had participated in the coconut crab tours. Public education continues, along with increased income for the local community. Not only has the economy improved, but coconut crab conservation has also shifted local mindsets.
Today, the coconut crab is seen not as a commodity, but as a priceless natural heritage. In fact, several villages have developed customary regulations to strengthen the protection of this animal, complementing national regulations that already designate the coconut crab as a protected species, and it is listed as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN.
The latest data indicates that the coconut crab population in the Fam Islands is around 12.000 individuals, with an average weight of only 366 grams. This figure serves as a reminder that conservation efforts are far from complete. However, the story of Aksim and the Karkara Weter Community Conservation Group (KTH Karkara Weter) is clear evidence that conservation and community well-being can go hand in hand. "If the coconut crabs survive, the money keeps coming in. We want our children and grandchildren to still be able to see these extraordinary creatures in the wild," said Aksim with a hopeful smile.
