Fisheries co-management, the role of local institutions and decentralisation in Southeast Asia : with specific reference to marine sasi in Central Maluku, Indonesia

Focus of the study is the potential role of local institutions in fisheries management. As world-wide marine resources deteriorate, the call for better management urges national governments to decentralise management authority to local and lower government levels. Ownership and long-term access to resources are important incentives to manage resources for sustainability, while proximity to the resource, relevant local knowledge and local management institutions allow for effective and more equitable management that is both adaptive and resilient. Sasi in Maluku, Indonesia, is such an institution and has often been heralded as an example of successful local resource management. The extent to which it was still active and functional, however, was not known. This thesis contains an inventory of sasi and an analysis of its performance in terms of equity, efficiency, biological and social sustainability, and is illustrated by an elaborate description of sasi in Nolloth village. The study of sasi has been put in the wider context of decentralisation in Indonesia which is compared to the process in the Philippines. The results have also been used to identify the factors that enhance success of co-management in Southeast Asia. Finally a methodology is proposed to measure this success in an appropriate way.Centrum voor Milieuwetenschappen LeidenConservation Biolog

An institutional analysis of sasi laut in Maluku, Indonesia

This study provides an understanding of the extent and functioning of community based coastal resource management systems in Maluku province, Indonesia and suggests recommendations for national, provincial and village government to support, maintain and develop effective traditional and indigenous resource management institutions. The study has shown that the Sasi Laut has benefits that can be used as a basis for building local level management institutions.Fisheries, Co-management, Resource management, Indonesia,

Shrimp aquaculture as a vehicle for Climate Compatible Development in Sri Lanka. The case of Puttalam Lagoon

At present, aquaculture of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in the Puttalam district of Sri Lanka is unsustainable with more than 90% of the former shrimp ponds laying abandoned as a result of shrimp disease and improper management. Between 1992-1998, over 50% of the mangrove cover was removed in order to establish shrimp aquaculture. This severely affected the functioning of coastal ecosystems, reducing their provision of useful services and increasing coastal vulnerability to climate change. Changes in the hydrology and polluted residual matter make the soil unsuitable for other agricultural purposes without costly restoration. The root of the problem was inappropriate management and a focus on short term economic gains. Despite this previous failure, the national development plan, Mahinda Chinthana, now promotes aquaculture as an avenue for development. This will only be possible if aquaculture is regulated in a sustainable and well-managed manner, and does not increase local vulnerability to climate change effects. The current paper discusses the possible costs and benefits in applying the concept of Climate Compatible Development (CCD) to shrimp aquaculture in Puttalam, Sri Lanka. It suggests how the sector can support mitigation of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and adaptation to climate change effects, whilst stimulating development that will also benefit rural societies. Mechanisms that could enable this change include subsidies, insurance and bank loans which will also facilitate investment by foreign private enterprises and subsequent export. The development of a specific aquaculture policy and master plan would facilitate the process further