Evaluating data-limited fisheries for grouper (Serranidae) and snapper (Lutjanidae) in the Coral Triangle, eastern Indonesia

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in southeast Asia contribute more food fish for human consumption than industrial fisheries and in Indonesia, employ almost 85% of the total fisheries employees. Grouper and snapper are commercially important species highly targeted, including by small-scale fishers. We estimate the spawning potential ratios (SPRs) of high-value species in a small-scale fishery in Saleh Bay (Plectropomus leopardus, Variola albimarginata and P. maculatus) and in the Timor Sea (Lutjanus gibbus, L. boutton and Epinephelus areolatus) from a larger scale fishery (Kupang) and a SSF (Rote), using length-frequency data, biological parameters and empirical equations and the length-based SPR methodology. Measuring programs collected 10,621 lengths frequency samples from six species over 12 months, with ¿ 800 recorded lengths for each species. The SPRs for all species were very low (0.02–0.12), except for E. areolatus (0.49) and ratios of fishing to natural mortalities (F/M) were high (1.8 – 9.3). The results from the length-based SPR model indicate that the fish are harvested below the size of maturity, except for E. areolatus. Further analysis indicated that the smaller E. areolatus landed in Rote is likely under-represented compared to that of E. areolatus landed in Kupang. The expanding landings of grouper and snapper on a broad-scale and low SPRs highlight the importance of seeking measures to rebuild these stocks. These estimates of SPR would be enhanced by detailed biological studies of these species to obtain local estimates of growth parameters and size at maturity, as well as the size-at-selectivity for different fishing gears

Transforming traditional management into contemporary territorial-based fisheries management rights for small-scale fisheries in Indonesia

Fisheries management rights (FMRs), such as territorial use rights in fisheries (TURFs), are a promising approach for fisheries management that, if implemented on larger geographic scales, may be able to reduce the risk of fisheries decline, particularly for small-scale fisheries (SSF). SSF are significant throughout Asia, Africa and South America for millions of fishers and supporting the livelihoods of coastal communities. This research evaluates the potential of TURFs as a management tool in Indonesia and develops this into a concept of contemporary FMRs. In Indonesia, the adat communities, i.e. those communities where customary tenurial claims are still practiced, acknowledged under law and respected by migrant communities, have been able to implement TURFs. In Maluku and West Papua regions, TURFs (≈customary marine tenure or petuanan laut) are possible because tenure rights are recognized and confer the essential TURFs elements of exclusivity and security. We investigate the potential for scaling up TURFs by transforming petuanan laut that has enabled the successful implementation of sasi laut, a traditional measure to regulate the utilization of marine resources, into modern FMRs, especially for SSF. Elements of policy reform, the use of science-based fisheries management principles, and data-limited stock assessment methods to inform adaptive management are also considered. We discuss the adoption of FMRs into relevant law to allow the scaling up of TURFs throughout Indonesia. The FMRs are conceived as a privilege granted by government to an entity or group that comes with resource stewardship responsibilities and should be revocable if they are breached

Developing a functional definition of small-scale fisheries in support of marine capture fisheries management in Indonesia

Small-scale capture fisheries have a very important place globally, but unfortunately are still mostly unregulated. Typically, they are defined based on capture fisheries characteristics, technical attributes of fishing vessels, and socio-economic attributes of fishers. Indonesia uses the term ‘small-scale fisher’ (nelayan kecil), currently defined to include fishing boats of < 10 gross tons (GT), which previously covered only boats of < 5 GT. Because small-scale fishers are by law granted a privilege by government to be exempted from fisheries management measures (e.g. fisheries licensing system), its current definition jeopardizes fisheries sustainability and significantly increases the size of unregulated and unreported fisheries. It is also unfair, as it legitimizes the payment of government support to relatively well-off fishers. This paper aims to develop a functional definition of small-scale fisheries (perikanan skala kecil) to guide policy implementation to improve capture fisheries management in Indonesia. A definition of small-scale fisheries is proposed as a fisheries operation, managed at the household level, fishing with or without a fishing boat of < 5 GT, and using fishing gear that is operated by manpower alone. This definition combines attributes of the fishing vessel (GT), the fishing gear (mechanization), and the unit of business decision making (household) to minimize unregulated and unreported fishing and focus government aid on people who are truly poor and vulnerable to social and economic shocks. The terms small-scale fisheries and small-scale fishers must be legally differentiated as the former relates to fisheries management and the latter relates to empowerment of marginalized fishers