The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) continues to strengthen human resource (HR) capacity as an important foundation for achieving sustainable marine fisheries management. This effort is being pursued through the Pre-Convention on the Draft Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (RSKKNI) for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach, held in Bintaro on Wednesday (26 August).

The activity marked an important stage in developing national competency standards, which are expected to serve as a reference for education, training, certification, and the professional development of human resources involved in marine fisheries management.

Head of the Center for Standardization and Certification of Marine and Fisheries Human Resources, Anastasia Rita Tisiana Dwi Kuswardani, delivers remarks and officially opens the online Pre-Convention on the Draft Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (RSKKNI) for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach, Bintaro, 26 August 2026.

Head of the Center for Standardization and Certification of Marine and Fisheries Human Resources, Anastasia Rita Tisiana Dwi Kuswardani, emphasized the importance of developing SKKNI to ensure the availability of competent and professional human resources that meet the needs of the marine and fisheries sector.

“SKKNI sets out work competencies encompassing knowledge, skills, and work attitudes relevant to the performance of duties and job requirements. These standards can serve as a reference for education and training institutions, businesses and workplaces, as well as professional certification bodies in developing learning and training programmes, recruitment, competency assessment, and certification,” Anastasia said when opening the Pre-Convention on the RSKKNI for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach.

According to her, the competency standards being developed need to respond to the evolving needs of the marine and fisheries sector, including growing demands for more integrated and ecosystem-based fisheries resource management.

Director of Competency Standardization and Training Program Development, Ministry of Manpower, Abdullah Qiqi Asmara, delivers opening remarks online at the Pre-Convention on the Draft Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (RSKKNI) for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach, Bintaro, 26 August 2026.

Director of Competency Standardization and Training Program Development at the Ministry of Manpower, Abdullah Qiqi Asmara, commended MMAF's commitment to developing human resources through the development of SKKNI. According to him, competency standards must respond to the needs of the labour market while keeping pace with developments in the marine and fisheries sector.

“SKKNI is not merely a standards document, but a strategic instrument that can provide direction for competency-based education and training, serve as a reference for certification, and support career development and labour productivity,” Abdullah said.

He added that developing competencies for fisheries management through an ecosystem approach must address two needs simultaneously: producing a competent workforce while supporting the sustainability of marine ecosystems.

Zulfikar, Head of the WPPNRI-Based Fisheries Resources Management Working Team, delivers remarks on behalf of the Director of Fisheries Resources Management at the Pre-Convention on the Draft Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (RSKKNI) for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach, Bintaro, 26 August 2026.

Meanwhile, Director of Fisheries Resources Management, Syahril Abd. Raup, in remarks delivered by Zulfikar, Head of the WPPNRI (Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia)-Based Fisheries Resources Management Working Team, , stated that fisheries management is a shared responsibility to safeguard fishery resources while improving the welfare of fishing communities.

“Fisheries management cannot be separated from three vital dimensions: resources and their ecosystems, the socio-economic use of resources, and fisheries policy. Therefore, a more comprehensive approach is needed to ensure that these three dimensions are managed in balance,” he said.

One important instrument is the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM). This approach considers not only the sustainability of fishery resources, but also the interconnections among ecosystems, people, socio-economic aspects, and governance.

Therefore, the RSKKNI is considered strategic in ensuring that human resources possess the knowledge, skills, and work attitudes required to implement integrated, adaptive, and participatory ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Substantive Validation and Expanded Competencies

Dr. Ir. M. Fedi Alfiadi Sondita, M.Sc., leads the Pre-Convention Session on the Draft Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (RSKKNI) for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach, Bintaro, 26 August 2026.

Chair of the Pre-Convention Session, Dr. Ir. M. Fedi Alfiadi Sondita, M.Sc., of IPB University, said the pre-convention was an important stage in ensuring that the substance of the RSKKNI meets the needs of fisheries management in Indonesia.

“This pre-convention is very important for validating the substance of the RSKKNI,” Fedi said.

According to him, the resulting standards should subsequently be used as a reference for developing education and training programmes and competency assessment materials so that they do not remain merely as documents, but can be applied to strengthen human resource capacity.

Prof. Dr. Ir. I Nyoman Suyasa, M.S., chairs Working Group 1 during the Pre-Convention on the Draft Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (RSKKNI) for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach, Bintaro, 26 August 2026.

A similar perspective was expressed by Prof. Dr. Ir. I Nyoman Suyasa, M.S., Professor at the Jakarta Fisheries Business Polytechnic, BPPSDMKP (Agency for Marine and Fisheries Extension and Human Resources Development), who also participated in the activity and chaired Working Group 1. According to him, implementing EAFM requires an understanding of the approach among all stakeholders.

“SKKNI is very important because fisheries management cannot be understood only by the authorities. All stakeholders—fishers, businesses, communities, and other parties—must also understand the principles of EAFM,” Nyoman said.

24 Competency Units

Chair of the Organizing Committee, Wahyu Jati Purnaningsih, explained that the development of the RSKKNI had gone through a series of stages since early 2026, beginning with brainstorming, followed by discussions on the competency map, development of competency elements and performance criteria, and internal verification in August 2026.

Chair of the Organizing Committee, Wahyu Jati Purnaningsih, delivers a report on the implementation of the Pre-Convention on the Draft Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (RSKKNI) for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach, Bintaro, 26 August 2026.

The draft contains 24 competency units covering the ability to develop fisheries management plans; collect and analyse fishery resource and environmental data; determine boundaries for marine ecosystem management units; identify priority issues; formulate management objectives and strategies; and engage stakeholders.

These competencies are reinforced by an understanding of EAFM domains and indicators, fishery resources, fisheries ecology, data analysis, socio-economic aspects, and the use of fisheries management status assessment applications.

Collaboration and Sustainability

The Pre-Convention was attended by approximately 40 participants in person and 20 participants online, representing government, the drafting and verification teams, academia, associations, training institutions, professional certification bodies, practitioners, and other stakeholders.

The activity was a collaboration between the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries and BPPSDMKP, with support from the GEF-6 Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) Indonesia Project.

Ahadar Tuhuteru, S.Pi., M.Si., Knowledge Management and Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist at the PMU of GEF-6 CFI Indonesia, said the development of SKKNI was an important part of long-term investment in building the capacity of fisheries managers.

GEF-6 CFI Indonesia representative Ahadar Tuhuteru, Knowledge Management and M&E Specialist, attends the Pre-Convention on the Draft Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (RSKKNI) for Marine Fisheries Management with an Ecosystem Approach, Bintaro, 26 August 2026.

According to him, competency standards must be translated into education, training, certification, and practical application in the field in order to deliver sustainable benefits.

“SKKNI must be put into practice in fisheries management practice,” Ahadar stressed.

According to him, once established, the SKKNI should be followed up through dissemination, training development, competency certification, field implementation, and periodic evaluation.

He expressed hope that the process developed with the support of GEF-6 CFI Indonesia would become part of a legacy that continues beyond the project's completion.

“The legacy we want to leave is not only programmes and activities, but systems and capacities that can continue to be used by the government and stakeholders,” he said.

Through the development of the RSKKNI, MMAF and its stakeholders are working to establish competency standards that are relevant to the needs of the labour market, adaptable to technological developments, and capable of addressing challenges in marine resource management.

Ultimately, strengthening human resource competencies is expected to support responsible and sustainable fisheries management, enhance the professionalism and competitiveness of the workforce, and contribute to the welfare of fishers and coastal communities, as well as the sustainability of Indonesia's marine ecosystems.