The History of Makassan Trepang Fishing and Trade

The Malayan term trepang describes a variety of edible holothurians commonly known as sea cucumbers. Although found in temperate and tropical marine waters all over the world, the centre of species diversity and abundance are the shallow coastal waters of Island Southeast Asia. For at least 300 years, trepang has been a highly priced commodity in the Chinese market. Originally, its fishing and trade was a specialized business, centred on the town of Makassar in South Sulawesi (Indonesia). The rise of trepang fishing in the 17th century added valuable export merchandize to the rich shallow seas surrounding the islands of Southeast Asia. This enabled local communities to become part of large trading networks and greatly supported their economic development. In this article, we follow Makassan trepang fishing and trading from its beginning until the industrialization of the fishery and worldwide depletion of sea cucumbers in the 20th century. Thereby, we identify a number of characteristics which trepang fishing shares with the exploitation of other marine resources, including (1) a strong influence of international markets, (2) the role of patron-client relationships which heavily influence the resource selection, and (3) the roving-bandit-syndrome, where fishermen exploit local stocks of valuable resources until they are depleted, and then move to another area. We suggest that understanding the similarities and differences between historical and recent exploitation of marine resources is an important step towards effective management solutions

The Gordian knot of mangrove conservation: Disentangling the role of scale, services and benefits

Mangrove forests are among the most threatened tropical ecosystems. Their role as providers of important ecosystem services such as coastal protection, carbon storage and nursery habitats for economically important species is increasingly acknowledged. But mangrove destruction continues, and we might have to face the prospect of a world deprived of the services offered by mangrove ecosystems. Mangrove transformation and destruction is often caused by mismatches in mangrove system management. These root in interests that focus on selected ecosystem services only, but also result from a problem of fit between the spatial scales at which ecosystem services are provided, and those at which their benefits are realized. We argue that a combination of the ecosystem services concept with a careful approach to the issue of scales will help to overcome these problems and improve the management of mangrove systems. Drawing on two case studies from Indonesia and Brazil, we illustrate the relevance of our findings for different ecosystem services

Water scarcity in the Spermonde Archipelago, Sulawesi, Indonesia: Past, present and future

Water scarcity is a serious issue on many small coral islands, including the Spermonde Archipelago in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. An important driver behind it is population growth. Additionally, the predicted impacts of climate change will further accelerate the problem. While a lot of scientific attention has been paid to water scarcity in the Pacific, little is known about the situation in Indonesia. The paper presents the results of the first scientific study on water scarcity in an Indonesian Archipelago. It combines an analysis of historical and contemporary documents with a study about local perceptions on water scarcity. 160 people on four case study islands were interviewed about water availability and quality in the past and at present. The results show that although water scarcity is not a new issue, it has increased from the 1960s onwards. Possible anthropogenic and natural drivers behind this development are discussed, and management implications presented. It is argued that management measures need to be island-specific and require local institutions for water management

Envisioning 2050 : Climate Change, Aquaculture and Fisheries in West Africa, Dakar, Senegal, 14-16th April 2010

French version available in IDRC Digital Library: Vision 2050 : Changement climatique, pêche et aquaculture en Afrique de l’Ouest, du 14 au 16 avril 2010, Dakar, SénégalThis report presents the activities and results of the workshop Envisioning 2050: Climate Change, Aquaculture and Fisheries in West Africa. The objectives of the workshop were to discuss critical issues and uncertainties faced by the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Ghana, Senegal and Mauritania, build sectoral scenarios for 2050 and discuss the implication of these scenarios in the context of climate change for the countries and the region. During the workshop participants were introduced to scenariobuilding methodologies, identified drivers of change and ranked them according to their importance and levels of uncertainty. Participants then constructed four consistent scenarios for 2050 for each country. The scenarios raised several questions including: Can aquaculture address both national food security and macroeconomic growth? Should regional trade be promoted or access to global markets prioritised? How will climate change affect fishery resources, especially small pelagic fish like sardines, which are an important export commodity for Senegal and Mauritania? Participants also assessed the implications of the different scenarios in terms of climate change and research and development in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It was agreed that a regional or sub-regional effort is needed to better integrate scientific knowledge and to put into place coherent fisheries policies. Additionally, a better understanding of the impacts of climate change on the sector is needed, with for instance, the development of coupled climate-fisheries models for major commercial fisheries in the region. Participants unanimously agreed that strategic planning and foresight studies methodologies should be widely disseminated. Indeed the opportunity for reflective and creative thinking was recognised as an important part of planning - especially adaptation planning - to climate change. Finally, the workshop provided a rare opportunity to include in a foresight study, art projects by youth on the future of the fisheries sector and the coasts as an exhibition and discussion theme (“Visions of the Future: What is African Youth telling us about our Ocean?”). Empowering youth on climate change issues and integrating their needs into adaptation planning is essential as they will be the ones most affected by future developments

Integrated view of the global history of human interactions with life in the oceans.

<p>Integrated view of the global history of human interactions with life in the oceans.</p