The study is supported by grant funding from the Global Environment Facility-6 (GEF-6) Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) Indonesia through WWF-US as part of efforts to strengthen the scientific basis for developing policies and regulations for sustainable shrimp fisheries management.

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) are strengthening sustainable shrimp fisheries management through a scientific study of Pocketed Shrimp Nets (JHUB) operations in Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia (WPPNRI) 718, the Arafura Sea.

The activity in the Aru Islands Regency is part of a national survey being conducted in parallel in four locations: Dobo, Merauke, Ambon, and Sorong. The study is supported by grant funding from the GEF-6 Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) Indonesia, through WWF-US, as part of efforts to strengthen the scientific basis for developing policies and regulations for sustainable shrimp fisheries management.

During their work in Dobo, the team conducted ecological, social, and economic surveys through field observations, interviews with fishers and business operators, and data collection in several coastal villages and fisheries companies. The field findings were subsequently discussed in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) involving central and subnational governments, fisheries monitoring and enforcement personnel, fishing-port managers, academics, the Customary Council, fishers' associations, village governments, business operators, and other relevant stakeholders.

Acting Head of the Aru Islands Regency Fisheries Service Hans Djerol opens an FGD on the JHUB Operational Study in WPPNRI 718, attended by Head of Dobo PPP Reynaldo Hiariej, Coordinator of the Dobo PSDKP Working Area Relly M. Purmiasa, Chair of the Arafura Sea Prosperous Fishers Association Rocky S. Mantaibarbir, representatives of BPSPL (Coastal and Marine Resources Management Center) and PPN (Nusantara Fishing Port), the Aru Islands Customary Council, village governments, and other stakeholders to formulate science-based and sustainable shrimp fisheries management recommendations.

Acting Head of the Aru Islands Regency Fisheries Service Hans Djerol said that shrimp catches by small-scale fishers have shown a declining trend in recent years. He said the situation has been influenced by increasing fishing activity in the Arafura Sea, while, under the applicable regulations, authority over marine waters rests with the central and provincial governments.

"This situation often creates challenges on the ground because the regency government has limited authority to manage marine space. At the same time, fishing and customary communities are experiencing increasing pressure on their traditional fishing grounds, which have long been a source of livelihood," he said.

These findings provide important input for policy development to ensure that fisheries management is not focused solely on increasing production, but also takes into account resource sustainability, ecosystem protection, and the interests of coastal communities.

Head of Dobo Coastal Fishing Port (PPP) Reynaldo Hiariej explained that JHUB operations are regulated under Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 36 of 2023, which governs fishing gear specifications, fishing areas, and the mandatory use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to reduce the incidental catch of protected species.

According to Reynaldo, the regulation is part of the implementation of the Quota-Based Fisheries (PIT) policy, which places the sustainability of fishery resources as a key priority.

"Regulating fishing gear is not simply about increasing production, but about ensuring that the utilization of fishery resources remains balanced with ecosystem carrying capacity while providing fair access for small-scale fishers and business operators," Reynaldo explained.

Meanwhile, Dobo PSDKP (Supervision of Marine and Fisheries Resources) Working Area Coordinator Relly M. Purmiasa reported that fisheries monitoring and enforcement activities continued to identify a number of violations, including the use of mesh sizes that did not comply with regulations, the absence of TEDs on some vessels, and indications of misuse of JHUB, which is intended to target shrimp but whose catches were instead dominated by fish.

In addition to regulatory compliance, the forum also highlighted the growing potential for conflicts over fishing grounds between JHUB vessels and traditional fishers. Rocky S. Mantaibarbir, Chair of the Dobo Fishers' Association, called for more consistent monitoring of JHUB operations to ensure that local fishers retain equitable access to fishery resources.

"We hope monitoring will be conducted consistently and that information on vessel activities will be openly accessible. Any suspected violations should be addressed objectively so that local fishers remain protected and fishery resources remain sustainable," Rocky said.

The perspectives of customary communities were also an important focus of the discussion. The Aru Islands Customary Council emphasized that future fisheries management should recognize customary marine tenure rights as part of the community's traditional management system. FGD participants proposed remapping customary boundaries and strengthening legal certainty to reduce potential conflicts over the use of marine space.

The forum also discussed fisheries trade and marketing arrangements. Local business operators called for stronger regulations governing fisheries trade to promote fair competition while providing greater certainty for businesses operating in the region.

As a follow-up, the FGD produced eight key recommendations, including regular assessments of the condition of seabed habitats, analysis of the economic impacts on small-scale fishers, mapping of customary tenure areas, strengthened monitoring of JHUB operations, consistent law enforcement, improved dissemination of regulations, strengthened fisheries trade and marketing arrangements, and the establishment of an inter-agency coordination forum to monitor implementation of all the recommendations.

The findings of the study will provide important input for MMAF in developing science- and evidence-based policies and regulations for JHUB management. This approach is expected to ensure the sustainable utilization of shrimp resources without compromising ecosystem carrying capacity, the protection of local fishers, or the certainty needed for business operations.

Through collaboration among government, academia, research institutions, businesses, customary communities, and fishers, fisheries management in the Arafura Sea is expected to become increasingly adaptive, transparent, and sustainable. This collaborative approach provides a foundation for implementing the Quota-Based Fisheries (PIT) policy, ensuring that policy decisions are grounded in scientific evidence, support the sustainability of fishery resources, and contribute to the well-being of coastal communities.