*3.5. Perceived Management Strategies to Blue Carbon Ecosystems*

The respondents rated the strategies for BCEs management from the top (1) to least (7) priority measures. As shown in Table 5, 30.9% and 23.4% of the respondents in Busuanga have recognized "Organization strengthening and capacity development" and "Coastal and fisheries law enforcement" as the top strategies that need to be prioritized whereas

23.4% of the sample size in Karimunjawa acknowledged "Habitat management and marine sanctuaries" to be highly prioritized. Meanwhile, the least important strategies as perceived by the residents are "Information and educational campaigns" (29.0%) and "Coastal zoning" (27.7%) in Busuanga and "Coastal Zoning" (21.3%) in Karimunjawa.


**Table 5.** Perceived blue carbon ecosystem management strategies.

Notes: <sup>a</sup> Most frequently occurring response, <sup>b</sup> measured from the top (1) to least (7) priority management strategies. \* difference is statistically significant at *p* < 0.05 based on the Mann–Whitney U test.

> Moreover, residents were asked for their perceptions of who should be in charge of managing their BCEs (Figure 4). More than half (51.6% to 52.6%) of the respondents in Busuanga perceived that local residents should take the lead in the management of their mangroves and seagrasses while 21.7% to 23.9% of the sample size in Karimunjawa recognized that management should be a collective effort among local residents, local government, central government, NGOs and private sectors. Management by local government units is also acknowledged by 20.0% to 21.1% of the residents in Busuanga and 10.9% to 13.0% in Karimunjawa. A combined effort between local residents and local government units received fair recognition, 13.7% to 15.8%, in Busuanga and 15.2% in Karimunjawa. NGO-led managements are perceived by a small fraction, about 2.2% of the sample size in Karimunjawa whereas no recognition was recorded in Busuanga.

**Figure 4.** Perceived stakeholders to manage the blue carbon ecosystems. Blue bars represent Busuanga (n = 98) while orange bars reflect Karimunjawa (n = 47) respondents.
