The Importance of the Sustainable Use of Fishery Resources to Improve the Livelihoods of Fishermen on the Islands of Sumatra and Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Fishery resources on two major islands of Indonesia, Sumatra and Sulawesi, have great potential and thus become productive assets as well as the main source of livelihood for fishermen. However, these resources have been degraded and, in some areas, their sustainability is in danger despite the fact that they have not been used optimally. The degradation was dominated by anthropogenic pressures, especially destructive and illegal fishing practices by local fishermen and those from outside the islands (domestic and international). The fishermen faced constraints and challenges in utilising changing fishery resources that used low-tech fleet and fishing gear as well as in dealing with seasonal effects, especially the increasing frequency of extreme weather that caused many fishermen to stop fishing. This paper discusses the issues mentioned and the importance of sustainable use of fishery resources to improve the livelihoods of fishermen on the islands of Sumatra and Sulawesi. Efforts to reduce threats to fishery resources and increase the capacity of fishermen are urgently needed on these islands. This paper used data from the COREMAP LIPI social assessment on coral reefs based on the combination of quantitative (survey) and qualitative (open interviews and FGD) methods. It also employed secondary data from relevant documents, research results, papers, and books.