Wonorejo Mangrove Park is one of the well known tourist destinations among the people of Surabaya. In fact, mangrove forest which is located in Rungkut, Wonorejo, has become a national pilot project in the program of Mangrove Ecosystem Conservation and Sustainable Use (MECS).
Not only that, the forest is also getting appreciation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The mangrove ecotourism has also won numerous awards, one of which became the second winner of Surabaya Tourism Award 2012, organized by the University of Ciputra.
Unfortunately, the condition of mangrove forests is damaged. Data by Surabaya City Agriculture Office in 2015 showed that 30 percent of the land of mangrove ecotourism are damaged by junks from various cities. In addition, it is also due to lack of environmental awareness of stakeholders, including the traveler, the resident of the Wonorejo Village, Mangrove Ecotourism manager, and city officials.
Seeing the condition, five students of Universitas Gadjah Mada did research regarding the attitude of tourists, resident of Wonorejo Village, Wonorejo mangrove ecotourism managers, and city officials. The students are Rusli Akhmad Junaidi (Philosophy), Andrianto Maulana (Statistics), Tri Kurniawan Pamungkas (Philosophy), Lintang Mijias Kwin Tamima (Sociology), and Fitria Nugrah Madani (Philosophy). This study was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Rr. Siti Murtiningsih.
Rusli said that the damaged area is not just a technical issue. But the human (stakeholder) is a contributing factor to be examined. Because, human has more intensive involvement with ecotourism.
“We examine this phenomenon using the viewpoint of environmental ethics to talk about values and moral principles that animate human behavior that is in touch with nature,” said Rusli, chairman of the research team, Monday (30/5).
After analysis and interpretation of data, there are two findings generated in the research conducted from April 18-May 2, 2016. First, stakeholder’s attitudes towards ecotourism is a positive attitude. The moral principle of respect for nature is the basic concept for stakeholder’s way of thinking.
Second, the moral principle of respect for nature contained in ecotourism stakeholders in dealing with mangrove is biocentrism environmental ethics. All living things on earth, whether human or biotic creatures, have value and worth to himself, therefore, deserve consideration and moral concern.
Rusli expects this research can provide benefits to the general public in the form of scientific information in order to increase public awareness of the importance of mangrove conservation area. In addition, it is expected to be a reference material for policy formulation and municipal managers related to problems of land degradation in mangrove ecotourism.
According to the plan, the results of this study will be published in the Journal of Philosophy “Wisdom” of the Faculty of Philosophy UGM. In addition, the results of this study will be published by the publishing agency of Faculty of Philosophy UGM under the title of Environmental Ethics of Wonorejo Mangrove Ecotourism.