Policies of Indonesia for sustainable tuna fisheries management: Issues and concerns

Abstract

Indonesia is an archipelagic country rich in fishery resources. Since the country's reform era in 1999, the Indonesian Government has given more attention towards developing its fishery resources through the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), as well as exploiting and utilizing such resources to enhance the country's economy. Tunas, which form part of the country's fishery resources, have been playing an essential role in the economic development of Indonesia in view of the rising tuna production which increased at an average annual rate of about 8.4% during the past decade. Indonesia has been leading the Southeast Asian countries in tuna production not only in terms of volume but also in value. In 2013, its tuna production accounted for about 6.4% of the country's total fishery production and 21.5% of its production from marine capture fisheries. The tuna species caught in the territorial waters of Indonesia comprises the oceanic tunas such as skipjack, yellowfin, big-eye, albacore, and southern bluefin; and other tunas such as longtail, kawakawa, bullet, and frigate tunas. Considering the significant contribution of tuna resources to the country's economy, the Government of Indonesia has developed policies for the sustainable management of the country's tuna fisheries. However, the implementation of such policies has been encountering various challenges as explained in this article.