Maintaining Harmony in Pemuteran

Twenty-six years ago, Christopher E. Brown came to Pemuteran village, Buleleng, Bali, to dive and start a tourism business.

Kompas/Didit Putra Erlangga Rahardjo

Chris Brown

Twenty-six years ago, Christopher E. Brown came to Pemuteran village in Gerokgak district, Buleleng, Bali, to dive and start a tourism business. But he underestimated the environmental problems he was about to face, which led him to start a new life in Buleleng.

In 1991, when Brown arrived for the first time, Pemuteran village already had the potential to become a diving spot for tourists. However, the area’s coral reefs were severely damaged as the local people regularly harvested coral for construction materials. The damage was also caused by fishermen who used explosives to catch fish.