The GEF-6 Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) – Indonesia program, together with the Directorate for the Utilization of Small Islands and Coastal Areas of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and researchers from IPB University, conducted an inventory of fisheries resources potential within the indigenous community (MHA) of Ohoirenan Village, Southeast Maluku.

This initiative forms part of efforts to strengthen a community-based blue economy, focusing on the sustainable and socially equitable utilization of marine resources.

FGD meeting during the fisheries potential inventory survey of the indigenous community (MHA) in Ohoirenan Village, Southeast Maluku (August 2025)

The assessment aims to identify economic potential for indigenous coastal communities and ensure that local traditional practices—such as Sasi Laut—can serve as a foundation for fisheries management and a mechanism for economic empowerment. This approach reinforces the principle that environmental conservation and community wellbeing do not need to stand apart, but instead can mutually reinforce one another.

The Sea as a Source of Life and Economic Identity

Ohoi Ohoirenan is located on the southern coast of Kei Besar Island, a region with strong customary traditions that treasure the ocean as part of community social and economic life. Approximately 80 percent of the population works as fishers, while others depend on seafood processing and small-scale trade.

Harvest of “Sea cucumber (Actipogya lecanora)” Shells under the Sasi System in Ohoi Ohoirenan

The traditional Sasi system—customary rules that prohibit the harvesting of marine resources during designated periods—has proven effective in safeguarding key species such as Lola (Trochus niloticus) and Sea Cucumber (Holothuria scabra). Beyond its ecological function, Sasi also provides significant economic value: when the harvest season is opened, these high-value resources are auctioned through customary processes, generating essential income for the community.

This model forms a culturally rooted economic mechanism that both protects marine ecosystems and strengthens the role of indigenous communities as resource managers and primary beneficiaries.

Sargassum sp. (brown seaweed) growing along the Ohoi Ohoirenan coastline

Fisheries Potential and Local Business Opportunities

The inventory results show that Ohoirenan has a range of potential commodities for developing small-scale fisheries enterprises. These include Tuna, Mackerel Tuna, and Skipjack (TTC), which have strong market prospects at both local and regional levels; the abundant brown seaweed Sargassum sp., which can be processed into value-added products such as chips, animal feed, or pharmaceutical ingredients; and products derived from Sasi traditions, such as lola and sea cucumber, which hold potential for further processing into craft buttons or marine-based shredded products.

TTC (tuna, cob, skipjack) catch by fishers in Ohoi Ohoirenan

Feasibility studies show positive Benefit–Cost Ratios (BCR) across nearly all activities — from capture fisheries and fish processing to Sasi-based resource utilization — indicating that these enterprises are viable and capable of increasing indigenous community income. For example, large pelagic fisheries achieved a BCR of 4.9, while fish processing activities recorded a BCR of 3.4.

With strengthened business capacity and simple technology support such as fish drying, cold chain systems, and digital market access, the Ohoirenan community has significant opportunities to increase the economic value of marine resources while maintaining sustainability.

Synergy Between Local Wisdom and the Blue Economy

The local wisdom of Sasi tradition and customary governance in Ohoirenan demonstrate that customary law communities have long implemented resource management systems aligned with sustainability principles.
This approach resonates with KKP’s Blue Economy policy, which seeks balance between ecological, economic, and social dimensions.

Flying fish eggs attached to Sargassum

The strength of customary community management lies in the ability to regulate harvesting periods, determine allowable size, and limit areas of extraction — a natural conservation practice that also stabilizes market dynamics. When supported by scientific approaches and institutional backing, its economic potential can increase significantly.

Empowerment programs such as seafood processing training, product packaging, as well as Halal and PIRT certification are essential steps to improving broader market access.
Furthermore, integration with digital marketing platforms can help women’s and youth business groups expand their reach and promote local products more widely.

Recommendations for Strengthening Customary Community Economies

This study provides several strategic recommendations to strengthen the coastal customary communities’ economy, including: (i) Enhancing customary institutional capacity in marine resource management and community-based enterprise management. (ii) Developing local priority commodities, such as fish-based products, Sargassum-derived goods, and high-value marine biota handicrafts. (iii) Facilitating access to financing and markets for community business groups through collaboration between local governments and development partners. (iv) Integrating customary values into blue-economy policies so that Indigenous communities are not only recognized culturally but also empowered economically.

From Local Wisdom to Economic Self-Reliance

The fisheries potential inventory activity in Ohoirenan Village serves as a tangible example that marine conservation can progress together with improving the economic wellbeing of customary communities.
This community-based approach paves the way for an inclusive model of marine management — one in which local communities are not merely policy recipients but key actors in safeguarding and managing their own resources.

Supported by policies that prioritize customary communities, Ohoirenan has the potential to become a model for an customary-based blue economy in Southeast Maluku.
Rooted in a long tradition of protecting the sea, customary communities are now advancing toward a new chapter: transforming marine resources into a sustainable source of prosperity for future generations.