Transforming traditional management into contemporary territorial-based fisheries management rights for small-scale fisheries in Indonesia

Abstract

Fisheries management rights (FMRs), such as territorial use rights in fisheries (TURFs), are a promising approach for fisheries management that, if implemented on larger geographic scales, may be able to reduce the risk of fisheries decline, particularly for small-scale fisheries (SSF). SSF are significant throughout Asia, Africa and South America for millions of fishers and supporting the livelihoods of coastal communities. This research evaluates the potential of TURFs as a management tool in Indonesia and develops this into a concept of contemporary FMRs. In Indonesia, the adat communities, i.e. those communities where customary tenurial claims are still practiced, acknowledged under law and respected by migrant communities, have been able to implement TURFs. In Maluku and West Papua regions, TURFs (≈customary marine tenure or petuanan laut) are possible because tenure rights are recognized and confer the essential TURFs elements of exclusivity and security. We investigate the potential for scaling up TURFs by transforming petuanan laut that has enabled the successful implementation of sasi laut, a traditional measure to regulate the utilization of marine resources, into modern FMRs, especially for SSF. Elements of policy reform, the use of science-based fisheries management principles, and data-limited stock assessment methods to inform adaptive management are also considered. We discuss the adoption of FMRs into relevant law to allow the scaling up of TURFs throughout Indonesia. The FMRs are conceived as a privilege granted by government to an entity or group that comes with resource stewardship responsibilities and should be revocable if they are breached.