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ndigenous communities from 19 villages in the Dampier Strait Marine Protection Area (MPA), Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, declared on Tuesday a customary fishing area in the regency, asserting their commitment to conserving marine ecosystems and utilizing resources in a sustainable manner.

“The customary fishing area in Raja Ampat is a system that regulates members of the indigenous Maya tribe in maintaining and utilizing the sea and its fishery resources wisely and responsibly,” Kristian Thebu, chief of the Maya Tribe Council, said on Wednesday.

The declaration saw residents of eight villages living on Batanta Island and 11 others on Salawati Island agreeing to protect the 211,000 hectares of marine area, sustainably securing the livelihoods of 2,000 households on both islands.

Such a declaration is considered helpful for the MPA in managing the area thanks to “community involvement in planning and management”, according to Syafri, head of the Raja Ampat MPA technical implementation unit.

The MPA in Raja Ampat was determined through a 2014 decree from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry.

However, irregular and unsustainable fishing practices, as well as a growing number of fishermen from outside Raja Ampat coming the regency’s waters to fish, continue to threaten the region’s marine ecosystem.

Nongovernmental organization RARE with support from the USAID Sustainable Ecosystem Advanced (SEA) project will assist in implementing the declaration as well as other conservation attempts.