Management policy of small-scale tuna fisheries based on island cluster in Maluku

Abstract

Tuna is one of essential economic fish commodities in Maluku which mostly caught by handline and trolling line small scale fishery with fishing vessel capacity under 5 GT. The fishing vessel numbers and fish production of this fishery are declining recently, and the catching was predominantly by small size. The highest yellowfin tuna production was found in Island Cluster 7 amounted to 9,107 tones or 31% of total yellowfin tuna production in Maluku by 2019. This study was aimed to analyze the condition of yellowfin tuna in Maluku and to propose a management policy for small-scale tuna fishery base on Island Cluster. Result shows that the production between 2013-2019 was stagnant with a declining tendency. The implementation of island cluster approach in small-scale tuna fishery management will increase the efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness on it, especially at the potential island clusters 7, 5, and 4. Of all-island clusters found, island cluster 7 having the highest performance indicator for small-scale tuna fishery.