T

he life of billions of people in the world depends on fisheries. About 88 percent global fish production is utilized for human consumption, according to 2016 data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The world also relies on the fisheries industry for 120 million jobs.

Unfortunately, fish are the last resources left that we massively exploit from the wild. According to the FAO, 33.1 percent of global fish stocks are overexploited, while 59.9 percent are fully exploited.

This gloomy state stems from the large number and size of fishing fleets used. An estimated 4.6 million fishing vessels operate globally. Meanwhile, the capacity of fishing vessels is almost 250 percent larger than what the ocean can produce in a sustainable way.

Sadly, the percentage of exploitation provided by the FAO omits the portion of catches discarded at sea and catches from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Based on the World Ocean Assessment, IUU fishing is estimated to cause losses totaling US$10-23 billion a year.

We are also experiencing post-harvest losses that deprive us of the nutritional benefits of fish. It is estimated that post-harvest losses amount to 35 percent of the global catches.

Between 9 and 15 percent of these losses are caused by fish discarded at sea, mostly by trawls (FAO, 2011). This practice has been estimated to lead to 7 million tons of fish left dead at sea (World Bank, 2010).

Indonesia’s oceans are also under those immense threats. Based on a 2016 assessment, 78.8 percent of Indonesia’s fisheries resources are either over- or fully exploited. As a result of depletion, Indonesia has seen a decline in the number of households making a living from the industry from
1.6 million in 2003 to only 800,000 in 2013. At the same time, Indonesia depends on fish products to counter malnutrition, as well as stunting, which affects almost 9 million children under 5 years of age.

Looking at those facts, the sustainability of the fisheries sector becomes a matter of utmost importance. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo envisions a transformation of Indonesia into a global maritime power. He believes that the ocean is the nation’s future. Accordingly, ocean resources should be managed based on sustainable fisheries principles.

Simply put, sustainable fisheries means enjoying the resources for today’s generation but at the same time leaving enough fish in the ocean to enable future generations to meet their needs. To achieve sustainable fisheries, two main principles should be addressed: The first is implementing sustainable fisheries management and second is protecting the health of the ocean. Both have been translated
into national policies by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti.

To reverse the threat of overfishing, fishing has to be done within an effective management based on accurate data and information on fish stocks and catch documentation.

Unreported and underreported fishing has become a big threat when it comes to pursuing accurate catch documentation, which is oftentimes facilitated by transshipments.

To address this, Indonesia has banned illegal transshipment and pledged its commitment to implement an Electronic Fishing Logbook, which will produce more accurate data than the paper-based logbook.

To complement the implementation of the management, states should have a mechanism to encourage high compliance and strong enforcement in the case of any violations. Indonesia has taken a tough stance against IUU fishing.

A total of 488 vessels involved in illegal fishing have been sunk. Other than that, more than 200 fishing permits of vessels built in other countries were revoked over illegal fishing.

Internationally, Indonesia is also taking big steps with the global community in advancing transparency, addressing transnational organized crime in the fishing industry, engaging in international cooperation to investigate crimes and advocating better governance of the high seas.

These policies have rewarded Indonesia with fish stocks that rose from 7.3 million tons in 2014 to 12.6 million tons in 2017.
Fishermen business exchange value has also increased from 107.37 in 2014 to 123.01 in 2017.

In 2016, the International Trade Center released a report that showed Indonesia top the seafood trade balance in the ASEAN region.

Those measures are accompanied by action to protect the health of the oceans. Indonesia is taking steps to phase out destructive fishing gear that destroys the ecosystem, reduce marine pollution and prevent climate-related impacts on the oceans.

In several international forums, Susi spoke about the need to acknowledge ocean’s rights to maintain healthy ocean.

Sustainable fisheries should always be a national priority. Indonesia’s population is projected to increase to 305 million in 2035, according to 2015 data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS). Meanwhile, annual fish consumption amounted to over 40 kilograms in 2017 (BPS, 2017). In addition, fish contributed 50 percent of total animal protein intake in Indonesia, which is higher than most countries (FAO, 2015).

However, achieving sustainable fisheries is a collective responsibility. Countries should collaborate to create synergy in promoting the implementation of Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals and FAO Code of Conduct on Responsible Fishing. With international cooperation, countries may overcome limitations of capability by seeking assistance from other countries. Achieving sustainable fisheries is not a “one-man show”, but a collaborative effort to ensure a better future.
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