lautnusantara.com_Fisheries governance has been one of the main focuses over the ten years of the Indonesian government under President Joko Widodo. The period from 2014 to 2024 is considered to have produced protective fisheries policies.

This was conveyed by the Human Rights Manager of Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) Indonesia, Miftachul Choir, to Mongabay. He stated that policies such as the moratorium on former foreign fishing vessels and transshipment were examples worthy of appreciation by all parties.

In addition, there were also policies related to the Negative Investment List (DNI) and the prohibition of foreign fishing vessels (KIA) from entering Indonesian waters, accompanied by strict monitoring. According to him, these measures represented concrete efforts to improve fisheries management and marine ecology.

“All of this took place during Joko Widodo’s first term from 2014 to 2019,” he said.

However, during the second term, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries shifted direction by opening capture fisheries markets, as evidenced by permitting investment in Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The management of investment in Indonesia’s EEZ was then elaborated through Law Number 11 of 2020 on Job Creation, Government Regulation (PP) Number 11 of 2023 on Measured Fishing (Penangkapan Ikan Terukur/PIT), and the implementation of post-production fisheries levies.

This policy shift over the past five years is considered to have triggered a growing number of large-scale fishing vessels operating in Indonesian waters and successfully harvesting large quantities of fish.

Unfortunately, the increase in large fishing vessels is strongly suspected to be accompanied by the use of forced labor practices against fishing vessel crews. This reality contradicts the government’s promise to prioritize small-scale fishers and traditional vessels.

• Measured Fishing (PIT)

Miftachul explained that the government continuously promotes its promise to realize sustainable fisheries in business practices, one of which is through the PIT policy scheduled to begin on January 1, 2025.

This policy clearly gives preferential treatment to large-capital business actors capable of operating large fishing vessels at sea. Through PIT, marine areas are closed and concessions are granted to corporations, effectively privatizing marine resources.

“The government assumes that the sea is filled with traditional and local vessels that are responsible for environmental damage, so it is better to hand it over to those who possess more effective means of production, namely entrepreneurs,” he explained.

Thus, despite claims by the MMAF that PIT will serve as an effort toward sustainable fisheries, he considers it still ambiguous. Success can only be achieved if there is substantial and meaningful involvement of traditional fishers.

“If there is none, then it is difficult to imagine it happening,” he added.

According to him, realizing sustainable fisheries practices and governance in Indonesia is indeed the government’s responsibility, which must involve all relevant stakeholders. However, this obligation faces very significant challenges.

These include a land-based bias in addressing marine issues, even though conditions at sea are clearly very different. This perspective results in a lack of adequate budget allocation, programs, human resources, and institutional capacity to resolve marine problems.

Regarding human resources specifically, he noted that they remain very limited. This assessment refers to the fact that marine and fisheries issues are still considered highly sectoral, with only those working in the field willing to speak out.

This has caused marine issues to be rarely discussed within pro-democracy and human rights movements, even though marine issues can be framed as resource grabbing resulting from market liberalization in Indonesia, especially after the enactment of the Job Creation Law.

Despite these ambiguities, Miftachul still sees government efforts to maximize fisheries potential through PIT, one of which aims to ensure that the marine and fisheries sector contributes optimally to achieving Indonesia’s Golden Vision 2045.

He noted that these efforts are occurring at a time when global trends show declining fish stocks due to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) and industrialization.

“This is not impossible to happen in Indonesia, especially if the fisheries industry is pushed to increase production and growth and is controlled by only a handful of actors,” he explained.

From a business perspective, sustainable fisheries will also lead to increased operational costs, which may ultimately prompt businesses to suppress labor costs and reduce expenditures on environmental protection.

“It is necessary to prioritize the recovery of marine resources and ecology, and to fully involve affected communities, namely coastal communities and fisheries workers,” he concluded.

• Critical Species

Separately, Senior Ocean Program Advisor of Konservasi Indonesia, Victor Nikijuluw, revealed that there are critical issues that have yet to be adequately addressed in Indonesia. He acknowledged that conservation efforts for species dependent on marine habitats have not yet received serious attention.

Similarly, the conservation of genetic resources has not been optimally implemented due to limited mapping, identification, and related studies. This should be a major concern, because every time a species disappears, broader impacts will follow.

The loss is not merely of a living organism, but also of genetic resources, germplasm, and millions of bioactive compounds whose benefits are not yet fully understood. This must become a concern for the government and all relevant stakeholders.

“The enormous potential contained in every marine species, whether in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or ecosystem services, has not yet been fully revealed,” he explained.

According to him, this lack of knowledge could lead to major losses in the future, given the many potential applications that could support scientific advancement, human health, and welfare.

Therefore, strengthening marine species conservation and biodiversity protection is not only crucial for ecosystems, but also for a sustainable future and innovations that have yet to be imagined.

Victor also emphasized the crucial role of communities in conservation efforts through Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs). Citing a 2023 Washington Post article, he stated that inclusive conservation has proven to be more effective in protecting ecosystems and natural resources.

“However, community involvement must be strengthened and regulated within government policy to ensure a clear and structured foundation,” he said.

• Fishery Resources

According to him, many community-based conservation initiatives in Indonesia—rooted in customary practices, traditions, and formal regulations—are already underway, but government support remains essential.

The aim is to ensure the sustainability of existing marine conservation efforts, protect biodiversity and habitats, and integrate marine conservation management with sustainable fishery resources.

Regarding fishery resources, the government needs a deep and accurate understanding of fishery potential, even down to the species level, since each species has different commercial value. It is also important to determine how much can be sustainably harvested each year.

“Both in terms of quantity and consistent size quality, to ensure the sustainability of fish stocks,” he said.

In addition, deeper assessments are needed to determine and demonstrate the importance of connectivity between conservation areas and sustainable fishery resources. This connectivity plays a vital role in supporting fish stock regeneration and maintaining marine biodiversity.

Therefore, he emphasized the importance of formulating policies that integrate fishery resource levies to support the development and management of conservation areas. This step must begin with education and awareness-building among stakeholders.

“The goal is for them to understand that fishery resources will continue to decline and may even be depleted if conservation areas do not exist or do not function properly,” he explained.

Victor added that in the spatial planning for expanding conservation areas to 30 percent by 2045, the Indonesian government has allocated marine conservation areas aimed at protecting fish stocks, primarily in offshore waters.

The allocated areas are quite large and can even be categorized as Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs). LSMPAs are vast marine conservation areas covering thousands of square kilometers, enabling comprehensive ecosystem protection.

Due to their size, LSMPAs can protect multiple critical habitats simultaneously, such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and fish spawning grounds. They also facilitate migration for species that require large spaces.

By providing extensive safe spaces for fish to breed and grow, LSMPAs support stock regeneration through the spillover effect, allowing fish to migrate from protected areas to surrounding waters and strengthening fisheries sustainability and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

“The total area of LSMPAs or offshore MPAs allocated in the spatial plan for conservation expansion exceeds 60 percent,” he explained.

He briefly described this as the integration of marine conservation management with sustainable fishery resources, also known as the protection–production approach, which can maximize government targets.

Beyond that, the role of research institutions such as the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and universities is crucial in expanding research that highlights the relationship between conservation areas and commercial species.

Such research will not only provide the scientific data needed to support evidence-based conservation policies, but also help achieve more efficient and sustainable fishery resource management.

• Continuing Deterioration

Senior Vice President and Executive Chair of Konservasi Indonesia, Meizani Irmadhiany, warned that the condition of marine and coastal ecosystems continues to deteriorate. The main issue is plastic waste, recognized globally as “the deadliest predator of the sea.”

Currently, almost no coastline can be considered truly healthy, and even conservation areas are not spared from repeated assaults by plastic waste. This is compounded by threats from marine and coastal development, such as nickel or gold mining, and mass tourism in areas like Raja Ampat.

Similarly, land-use conversion into corn plantations around Saleh Bay, Sumbawa, has increased pollution from pesticide runoff, worsening water conditions through toxicity and eutrophication.

“This threatens the sustainability of whale shark–based ecotourism and the welfare of local communities,” she said.

To prevent further deterioration, problems must be addressed starting with stronger and more targeted policies. Governments at the central, provincial, and district levels must take a more active role in limiting plastic use.

Without such measures, marine ecosystems under conservation efforts will remain threatened, further impacting the livelihoods of coastal communities dependent on marine resources. Comprehensive actions are therefore required, encompassing regulation, strengthened public awareness campaigns, and innovation in environmentally friendly alternative materials.

Meizani remains optimistic that improvements will continue, as the government understands the importance of innovation in conservation. One example is increasing funding for conservation areas and shifting the conservation paradigm from a cost center to a protection–production approach.

An example is the Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD) of Raja Ampat in Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua Province. This institution applies a protection–production paradigm in marine management, utilizing mechanisms such as debt-for-nature swaps, coral bonds, blue carbon initiatives, and coral insurance.

“All of these integrate marine conservation management with sustainable fishery resources,” she explained.

Nevertheless, she acknowledged that shortcomings remain, including the lack—or even absence—of private sector involvement in conservation efforts. In fact, Indonesia has significant opportunities to enhance cooperation with various parties, including international institutions, given that marine issues are transboundary and require multinational engagement.

Finally, from a governance perspective, she suggested that conservation should become the responsibility and function of a specific echelon-1 unit. Accordingly, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries should establish a dedicated directorate general for marine conservation, enabling a more focused approach to managing and preserving marine resources.

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