Local community
Lake
Toba is the largest lake in Indonesia and extends across seven
administrative districts in the province of North Sumatra. The lake
is located in the middle of the northern part of the island of
Sumatra, with a surface elevation of about 900 m (2,953ft),
the lake stretches from2.88°N 98.52°Eto2.35°N 99.1°E. The lake is
about 100 km (62 miles) long, 30 km (19mi) wide,
and up to 505 m (1,657ft) deep. It is the largest lake in
Indonesia and the largest volcanic lake in the world.
Lake Toba is the site of a massive super volcanic eruption estimated at VEI 8 that occurred 69,000 to 77,000 years ago, representing a climate-changing event. Recent advances in dating methods suggest a more accurate identification of 74,000 years ago as the date. It is the largest-known explosive eruption on earth the last 25 million years. According to the Toba catastrophe theory, it had global consequences for human populations; it killed most humans living at that time and is believed to have created a population bottleneck in central east Africa and India, which affects the genetic make-up of the human worldwide population to the present (Wikipedia).
It presents a substantial challenge for management and in recognition of this Lake Toba was designated a National Strategy Region in 2014 through a Presidential Decree (81/2014) under the Government Regulation number 26/2008 on National Spatial Planning:
- manage the catchment area pertaining to the maintenance of the water resources sustainability, and minimize the erosion to prevent sedimentation;
- maintain the water quality and protect against the land and water contamination;
- sustain the biological resources and the stocks through the biodiversity and endemic biota protection, as well as maintain the stability of biological production that bestows myriad benefit for locals;
A management strategy for Lake Toba must be multidimensional. Firstly it is an area of substantial ecological and environmental
importance with rich biodiversity. The fish farming is an important
economic activity, but also important is the current and potential
for touristic development.
Regal Springs has a 5-year sustainability plan to 2023 entitled “WE CARE”. This includes annual aquaculture production targets, that have been designed to show that Regal Springs “Naturally Better Tilapia” is “the best tilapia in the market and that Regal Springs is the best and most sustainable tilapia business in the world”.