Sea News Brief

SEA NEWS BRIEF

USAID SEA Monthly Update Vol.7, August 2019

USAID SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS ADVANCED (USAID SEA) PROJECT

1. Roadmap Planning Underway for Managing Maluku’s Reef Fisheries

2. USAID SEA Leads Amsterdam Panel on Community-Based Fisheries Management

3. USAID SEA Project Portfolio Presented at International Congress

4. MPA Practitioners Train as Trainers in MPA and MPA Network Design

5. Program Seeks to Raise Local Communities’ Share of Flying Fish Revenues

6. Experts Meet to Validate MPA Network Design for FMA-715

7. Indonesian Government Researchers Trained in Stock Assessment and Harvest

Strategy Development

Roadmap Planning Underway for Managing Maluku’s Reef Fisheries

USAID SEA held back-to-back activities in June towards nomic contributions of the target fishery; setting broad the development of a roadmap for managing reef fisheries objectives; identifying issues and challenges; developing oper- in Maluku, Indonesia. The first activity was a mini symposi- ational objectives; selecting indicators, performance measures um conducted on 25 June, and the second was a focus group and reference points for each operational objective; and formu- discussion (FGD) held the following day (26 June), both of lating management actions and measures. In keeping with this them organized with the participation of the provincial marine process, USAID SEA will next facilitate the USAID SEA Fisher- affairs and fisheries office, DKP. Attended by 53 people from ies and MPA Teams and researchers from LIPI and the marine institutions related to fisheries management, the symposium fisheries research center BRPL to undertake an assessment of aimed to collect scientific data on Maluku’s high-value reef fish Maluku’s reef fish stocks and conduct a stakeholder consulta- stocks and fisheries resulting from research by scientists from tive workshop to set operational objectives for managing those the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Pattimura Univer- stocks. sity, and the MMAF’s scientific agency (BRSDMKP), as well as information on national and provincial government policies on fisheries management.

To achieve this objective, participants provided updated data and information on the status of the reef fish stocks and discussed and shared research results on the hydro-oceanographic characteristics of the waters around Maluku, composition and biology of reef fish species, fisheries biology and stock assessment, reef fish catching methods, and catch composition. Following this, the FGD shifted to developing a roadmap for planning and implementing reef fisheries management.

USAID SEA is supporting the Maluku provincial government through the process of developing the management plan, which includes scoping the coverage of the plan, geographic area and related stakeholders; compiling and analyzing background information related to the environment and the social and eco- USAID SEA Leads Amsterdam Panel on Community-Based Fisheries Management

Two West Papua MPAs proposed for ministerial declaration

A panel of experts led by the USAID SEA Sustainable Fisheries Science for Blue Justice: The Need to Go Between, Across and Advisor shared their experience in community-based fisheries Beyond,” through which they showcased the project’s application of management at the Centre for Maritime Research (MARE) small-scale fisheries management approaches that require multiple Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands (25-28 June 2019). disciplines of knowledge and skills at every stage of implementation, and thereby advocated the need to establish stronger collaboration The discussion focused in particular on lessons learned and integration between academics and practitioners towards from community-based fisheries management models that addressing small-scale fisheries management challenges. integrate customary and statutory forms of natural resource governance, such as the anchovy fisheries management model being promoted by USAID SEA in the Indonesian province of West Papua through the Christian University of Papua and State University of Papua, and similar models applied in other countries like Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

MARE, an interdisciplinary social science organization focusing on the use and management of marine resources, regularly holds an international conference to seek active collaborations with other disciplines in order to maintain a balanced mix of academic and policy-oriented research from a global perspective, with emphasis on the coastal zones of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The USAID SEA team also participated in another panel discussion called “Transdisciplinary Fisheries

USAID SEA Project Portfolio Presented at International Congress

USAID SEA’s successes in its field work in Indonesia were the importance of building the capacity of each “Pejuang presented by two of its implementing partners, the Coral Laut” through basic marine conservation, communication, Triangle Center (CTC) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), at behavioral change and other skills training, such as scuba diving the International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB), and MPA zoning. For its part, WWF presented its activity a global forum on addressing conservation challenges, held on supporting the Government of West Papua to establish a 22-25 July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With more than 2,000 new MPA in South Sorong Regency, a biodiversity-rich coastal conservation professionals and students in attendance and area dominated by mangroves. An example of community- 170 speed-talk presenters from all over the world, ICCB was based support for biodiversity conservation and sustainable a major networking event for conservation practitioners and fisheries, the MPA has 76,000ha of mostly (96%) primary advocates. CTC gave a five-minute session that showcased the growth wetland forest comprising 33 mangrove species, and importance of having local champions to create demand for also contains sea turtle and shark habitats and is home to marine conservation and sustainable fisheries by highlighting eight customary Papuan communities. The two presentations a local champion empowerment program called “Pejuang allowed USAID SEA’s contributions to local conservation Laut,” which currently includes 62 “sea champions” who help to be shared with and heard by the ICCB’s regional and with awareness raising and outreach in the Buano Islands international audience, who responded with many questions and Lease Islands marine protected areas (MPAs) in Maluku, for the staff working in the community conservation areas. and the Sula Islands MPA in North Maluku. CTC emphasized MPA Practitioners Train as Trainers in MPA and MPA Network Design

In support of the Indonesian Government’s goal to protect in four days of dynamic discussions covering the topics of the country’s marine resources and achieve sustainable defining MPA goals and objectives, identifying MPA design fisheries utilization for the well-being of its people, USAID criteria and data needs, using MARXAN and decision SEA conducted on 15-18 July a training-of-trainers (ToT) support tools, and evaluating MPA designs. Through these workshop on marine protected area (MPA) and MPA network discussions, the participants not only gained training skills but design. Held in Ternate, North Maluku, the workshop was also contributed their recommendations for improving the the second of a series of ToT activities, the first of which was content and conduct of the workshop, such as adjusting the held in Jakarta in March, aimed at assisting the Ministry of duration of the sessions to allow for a longer practical session Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) to design and develop on MARXAN, which requires more time than the theoretical MPAs and MPA networks through policy strengthening and sessions. Additionally, by sharing what they already knew the development of training modules for marine conservation from practical experience about MPAs and MPA networks, practitioners from the various provincial marine affairs they brought in ideas for improving the training modules and and fisheries offices, NGOs and academia throughout the methodology for designing MPAs using geographic information country. About 24 MPA practitioners with advanced skills in systems (GIS). These inputs will be considered by USAID SEA designing MPAs and MPA networks based on biophysical, social, and MMAF to refine the training modules. economic and cultural criteria and guidelines participated

Program Seeks to Raise Local Communities’ Share of Flying Fish Revenues

USAID SEA, in collaboration with the Marine Affairs and benefits. Understanding the important role that Fakfak’s Fisheries Faculty of the University of Papua (UNIPA), womenfolk play in providing food, fuel, and lodging for flying conducted on 24-25 July a flying fish egg processing training fish egg collectors, the workshop was designed to equip the workshop for the women of Fakfak Regency in West Papua, women with the know-how not only to process flying fish Indonesia. This activity was undertaken as part of the project’s eggs, but also to identify the different types of flying fish found gender strategy, which aims not only to improve gender around Fakfak and their respective economic value, and to parity in fisheries but also to create business opportunities help manage these resources for sustainability. More than 50 and increase local community livelihoods. Fakfak is well women from six Fakfak villages actively participated in the known in Indonesia as a producer of flying fish eggs, but local workshop, which came up with a recommendation for the communities have only limited involvement in the collection Fakfak Regency Government to introduce regulations allowing of this commercially important commodity, which effectively the local communities to process the flying fish eggs before excludes them from getting a fair share of its economic these are transported out of the area. Experts Meet to Validate MPA Network Design for FMA-715

About 40 marine and fisheries experts and practitioners vulnerable species. They also validated future areas of interest gathered in Jakarta on 6-7 August for an “Expert Verification as proposed by the analysis, and provided additional input Workshop” to review a design proposal for the proposed relevant to sea birds, cetaceans and historical shipwrecks. Mr. Fisheries Management Area (FMA) 715 Marine Protected Area Andi Rusandi, Director of the MMAF Directorate of Marine (MPA) Network. Conservation and Biodiversity, gave the opening remarks. The network design will be finalized in 2019. The workshop was organized by USAID SEA and its implementing partners Coral Triangle Center and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) as a continuation of their support of the Indonesian Ministry of Marine and Fisheries (MMAF)’s effort to design an MPA Network that enhances fisheries by protecting spawning stocks and other marine resources in FMA-715, including sea turtles, whales, dolphins and other vulnerable species, across a sufficiently broad geographic and ecological range not possible with single MPAs.

The participants, guided by USAID SEA and TNC staff, reviewed the MPA network design using biophysical, social, economic, and cultural criteria and guidelines to complement the existing MARXAN analysis component. They discussed and verified the characteristics of each potential MPA relevant to fisheries management, habitat protection, oceanography and

Indonesian Government Researchers Trained in Stock Assessment and Harvest Strategy Development of stock assessment data using LBSPR and applied the results to formulate recommendations on harvest control rules and adaptive fisheries management actions for three selected target species groups, namely, red snappers, groupers, and small pelagic fish. Stock assessments are fundamental in developing a fisheries management strategy and need to be periodically carried out to update the status of fish stocks and provide scientific inputs for the formulation and improvement of fisheries management policies and interventions. Good data collection and improved assessment methods will result in a valid stock assessment.

More than 30 researchers from Indonesia’s marine fisheries research center (BRPL) and fisheries research center (PURISKAN) participated in a stock assessment and harvest strategy development workshop conducted by USAID SEA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on 29 July – 2 August in Bogor. The participants, who make up the Indonesian Government’s lead scientific advisory team for harvest strategy development, were upskilled in Length-based Spawning Potential Ratio (LBSPR) analysis methods and how to translate the analysis into a good management strategy. During the training, NOAA experts and the researchers actively discussed and performed calculations

The Indonesian Sustainable Ecosystems Advanced (USAID SEA) Project is a five-year project that supports the Government of Indonesia (GOI) to improve the governance of fisheries and marine resources and to conserve biological diversity at local, district, provincial, and national levels. USAID SEA is implemented through a consortium of partners and will run from March 2016 through March 2021.

DISCLAIMER

This Newsletter is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the close collaboration of the Government of Indonesia (GOI). The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of USAID SEA and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

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