Protecting inland fisheries is therefore a dual responsibility—to our environment and our heritage. The challenge before us is substantial: Will we take the necessary steps to ensure these vital resources are preserved for future generations, or will we allow them to dwindle away?

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) flagship report, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2024, Asia contributes more than half of the world’s 11.3 million tonnes of fish, with Indonesia being one of the top producers and a significant source of aquaculture employment. Indonesia cultivates various species, including eels and arowana, found in regions such as Java and Kalimantan, which play important roles in the country’s aquaculture economy.

While we take pride in this global recognition, it is crucial to address the sustainability of our inland fisheries. Increased fishing activity, driven by demand and opportunity, can potentially overlook long-term environmental health, posing a significant threat not only to biodiversity but also to the livelihoods that depend on these vital resources.

Furthermore, climate change exacerbates these challenges. To safeguard this heritage and ensure future generations can experience the same success, we must improve the management framework and educate about localized conservation practices; all as part of mainstreaming biodiversity conservation.    

In line with the Blue Transformation road map, the 2021 Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI), and the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and FAO Indonesia, alongside local governments and stakeholders; are working to conserve endangered inland species and develop sustainable aquatic food systems in Indonesia. Since its implementation in 2017, the IFish (Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use into Inland Fisheries Practices in Freshwater Ecosystems of High Conservation Values) project, funded by the Global Environmental Facility, has intervened in five target areas, reaching more than 10,000 fishers and other community members and government officers from around 39 villages transforming them as agents of change in support of the 2030 Agenda.

Prior to the intervention, local communities struggled to maximize their livelihoods while balancing biodiversity, especially during the unprecedented pandemic period. Behind the curtain, we addressed this challenge by inter-departmental collaboration by mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into resource development and management practices; and on the ground, we worked with local communities to cultivate conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

From Central Java, residents in Kampung Sidat, an area recognized for eel conservation in Cilacap, have benefited from demonstration sites to cultivate eels from glass eel stage to Central Kalimantan, where endangered arowana are restocked in Kapuas and South Barito, which are managed and protected by local regulations. With these efforts, sustainability has now become a common vocabulary of the communities’ daily lives.

Through these efforts, we have discovered that achieving success is impossible without closely working with and integrating the local communities. Under the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM), which emphasizes the importance of a community-based approach, we engage with locals by building on their pre-existing traditional skills, knowledge and beliefs.

This has fostered community ownership and spawned unexpected stewardship of fisheries resources, leading to a more effective and sustainable management. For instance, in Sukabumi, West Java, where the IFish project is constructing Indonesia's first innovative and sustainably designed fishway, local groups have taken it upon themselves to patrol hotspots for unsustainable fishing, ensuring no one violates conservation rules and implementing localized sanctions.

The ripple effect of our efforts is most evident in the burgeoning interest among children and youth, who now see sustainable fisheries as a profitable and exciting venture. This newfound enthusiasm is rooted in the success stories from their communities - from housewives turned stunting heroes by providing nutritious fish-based meals at local integrated health service posts (Posyandu) to the development of an agrotourism site and practicing the circular economy, which attracts visitors and further supports the fisheries sector.

Additionally, the visible success has generated interest from a private sector operated micro-hydro power plant to invest in building fishways at its dams. Through this synergy of trust and collaboration, we are accelerating our goal to foster a holistic approach to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

The question of “will we rise to the challenge before it is too late?” finds its answer in the transformative power of a circular economy embodied by the project. The fisheries ministry and FAO Indonesia strive to create a self-sustaining cycle of environmental stewardship and economic growth, by mainstreaming biodiversity conservation.

Preserving inland fisheries is preserving our heritage; ensuring that our pursuit of livelihoods harmonizes with our natural legacy, fostering a future where both people and the environment thrive in balance. Enhancing the skills, knowledge and abilities of local communities in environmental management is equally important for achieving a sustainable blue economy. By empowering communities, we pave the way for more effective and inclusive environmental stewardship. Together, we can set an example of sustainable ecosystem restoration not only in Indonesia, but also through sharing our good practices with other countries in the Global South through South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).

The success of this initiative can inspire global efforts to better manage and protect our natural resources, creating a harmonious balance between human prosperity and environmental health.

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Rajendra Aryal is FAO representative in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. I Nyoman Radiarta is chairman of the Marine and Fisheries Extension and Human Resource Development Agency at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry.