The Indonesian archipelago lies between the Pacific and Indian oceans, is home to rich marine life and aquatic species. Apart from being well known as a top tourist attraction, the deep blue Indonesian ocean is a critical source for food and nutrition and a source of income for those living in coastal areas. Fish, shellfish, seaweed and other aquatic species contain valuable sources of protein micronutrients like zinc and iron, also rich in A and B vitamins. They often are more affordable than other animal protein sources.
As an archipelago, coastal communities become prone to climate change. Climate change brings threats to the marine habitat, such as warmer water temperature, ocean acidification and the shifting of currents, putting serious risks on ocean health and many lives depend on it. And now the Indonesian ocean is facing other threats, from overfishing and other destructive fishing habits, which damages marine habitats, decreases aquatic species population and seafood production and also brings serious threats to those whose jobs depend on the healthy ocean and fisheries.
To ensure the livelihoods of coastal communities, we need healthy oceans and sustainable sources of food. Hence, we must collaboratively work to reduce climate change pollutants, implement climate-adaptive policies with the government and eliminate overfishing. One of EDF’s goals is trying to work with communities that depend on ocean resources, providing the tools they need to be resilient to climate change and to help those communities sustain their resources in the future. Including preventing overfishing, being resilient to climate change, increasing and protecting the habitat they need to remain healthy.
Blue swimming crab is one of Indonesia’s marine high valued commodities. It generates more than $300 million in economic activity per year and a key to the livelihoods of thousands of Indonesians. The blue swimming crab fisheries are now facing issues such as the decline in catches, smaller size mature crabs, greater variation in annual fishing patterns and unstable prices. Those issues can be addressed by collaborative efforts from the governments, local stakeholders and associations, industry players and communities via sustainable fisheries management and science-based programs supported by EDF.
Lampung Province is one of the largest Blue Swimming Crab production areas in Indonesia, where 10-15 percent of national Blue Swimming Crab production comes from the East Coast of Lampung. In this area, there are more than 6,000 fishermen and 2,000 other workers in mini plants and factories, most of whom are women workers, who depend on Blue Swimming Crab resources for their livelihoods.
Based on the latest blue swimming crab catching data in Lampung Province, there is a decline in their catches, decrease the potential for spawning female blue swimming crabs, and increase in blue swimming crab fishing activity. These results indicate that the blue swimming crab resources in Lampung are being used excessively. If this practice is continued without any adjustments, in the future it will have an impact on the decline in the blue swimming crab population which can threaten the livelihoods of thousands of blue swimming crab fishermen in Lampung Province.
EDF with the team of local experts and years of global experience in Oceans and Sustainable Fisheries Management will continue to work with provinces, MMAF, and all partners as the organizations aim to develop new models and methods for effectively managing fisheries alongside communities in this region. For over two years, EDF has been working closely with the MMAF, Lampung provincial government, APRI, Mitra Bentala, several academic institutions and local communities, to implement and monitor sustainable fisheries management programs in Lampung. Further, the successful implementation of sustainable fisheries management programs in Lampung are carried out in other provinces, such as West Java and xx.
Together with our local partners, we create processes to demonstrate and put resources into the hands of fishers, government agencies, industry, and institutions that will empower them to act as stewards of their fisheries and agents of change, and to raise the urgency and visibility of sustainable fisheries management nationally and on the global stage.
