The capture fisheries within Indonesian waters are among the largest in the world and represent a food and income resource for tens of millions of people. They are a highly diverse and complex set of fisheries, ranging from small artisanal activities undertaken by family groups to highly industrialised and mobile fishing fleets targeting high value products. The collapse of fisheries, which is currently a worldwide phenomenon, could have severe social, economic and environmental impacts in Indonesia. A variety of fisheries assessment and management methods that can be applied in the Indonesian context need to be investigated and trialled.
This study, which commenced in July 2008, is a collaborative research project between the Indonesian Ministry for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the University of Wollongong and CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research. The objectives of the research are to:
Develop new, innovative fisheries policy and management frameworks.
Develop new, fishery-specific stock assessment processes.
Develop improved scientific and policy frameworks for sustainable management of Red Snapper stocks within Indonesia waters.
The project has three main streams of activities: in Year 1, an assessment of fish market landings at a selection of seven fishing ports encompassing several provinces (West, Central & East Java, Lombok and Bali); in subsequent years, the detailed analyses of selected fisheries, and development of monitoring programs and of draft management objectives (with stakeholder participation); and, a review of the Red Snapper fisheries in terms of a re-assessment of existing catch data and of existing management practices.
At this stage of the project (Phase 1), the following progress has been made:
A Project Steering Committee has been established and meetings held every 6 months to review project progress and to advise on future activities.
An assessment of the seven fishing ports has been carried out involving rapid market assessments, as well as detailed interviews and the collection of existing fisheries statistics held locally. A summary of this work will be available shortly.
As a result of this new information from the sampling of fish markets, two fisheries have been chosen for more detailed assessment of catches and management opportunities during Phase 2 of the project. The selected fisheries are: the lemuru (sardine) fishery carried out in the Bali Straits (a large fishery for which there exists a good deal of useful data and a draft management plan); and, the painted lobster fisheries of Sadeng and Pacitan (a small fishery where very little information is available). A third fishery will be selected later in 2009.
Two of the planned three Red Snapper Workshops have been completed. The first Red Snapper Workshop dealt with the availability of data for he Red Fisheries within Indonesian waters. As a result of this workshop, a follow-up data analyses meeting was held. The second Red Snapper Workshop dealt with management issues. This workshop identified the complexities of the fisheries capturing Red Snapper within Indonesian waters and the need to re-assess the existing draft management plan. A third workshop is planned in late 2009.
Overall, the project has made good progress and has already produced new information about the fish catches in several fishing ports and a revised approach the data collection for selected fish stocks.