An analysis of sustainability issues in eastern Indonesian pole-and-line tuna fisheries

Abstract

Sustaining healthy tuna fisheries is crucial to Indonesia‘s national income from the fisheries sector and to securing the fishers‘ livelihoods. Yet sustainability issues in the small-scale pole-and-line tuna fisheries have been little analysed, and this study helps to fill some gaps in the literature. Data were collected from ten sites across eastern Indonesia (Sorong, Ternate, Pulau Bacan, Larantuka, Kupang, Bali, Surabaya, Bandung, Bogor and Jakarta) by four methods: review of academic and other publications; quantitative questionnaire surveys; qualitative interviews with key informants; and personal observations. The thesis investigates potential short-term effects of a government moratorium on foreign fishing vessel on small-scale tuna pole-and-line fishing (Chapter 2); trends in landings and effort (Chapter 3); the relationships between fishing effort and oceanographic variables at fish aggregating devices (FADs) sites (Chapter 4); and market supply strategies (Chapter 5). The findings of the study are: (1) the moratorium had little effect on the tuna poleand-line fishery, yet fishers claimed it helped them to fish more freely. (2) Landings trends varied between locations but in general from 2012 the landings volumes declined. (3) Stakeholders perceived that the government‘s published fisheries data were inaccurate because they were not collected using established scientific principles. (4) There were positive relationships between catch per unit of effort (CPUE) and both sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration but these were relatively weak. (5) On market supply, only Sorong seemed to demonstrate the initiative to access export markets by partnering with international private companies and preparing for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, an essential strategy if the fisheries are to achieve their full potential in the global tuna market. Tuna pole-and-line fisheries in eastern Indonesia are in moderately good shape, but they face significant challenges including diminishing tuna stocks, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing practices; competition from industrial vessels, and restricted marketing options.