Collaborative and innovative approaches to achieving sustainability in Indonesian small-scale tuna fisheries

Indonesia is one of the largest seafood-producing countries in the world; it is the source of 16% of the world’s tuna catch. Yet very limited data exists on the status of these fisheries, limiting management capacity and... [ view full abstract ]

Indonesia is one of the largest seafood-producing countries in the world; it is the source of 16% of the world’s tuna catch. Yet very limited data exists on the status of these fisheries, limiting management capacity and leading to unsustainable fishing practices. Indonesian marine resources are threatened by overfishing; illegal, unreported and unregistered (IUU) fishing; unregulated use of fish aggregating devices (FADs); and limited spatial management of vast and complex coastal ecosystems. The road to successful fisheries management involves many challenges, but MDPI, an Indonesian non-profit, has been tackling these challenges for the past five years. Working directly with the fishing industry and seafood supply chains, MDPI has built a program that is achieving measurable steps towards sustainable small-scale tuna fisheries in Indonesia. MDPI tackles several aspects of fisheries sustainability, working on fisheries improvement projects (with the goal of MSC certification), traceability and technology implementation, community development through Fair Trade certification, education and outreach, and more. The organization works in communities across Indonesia, engaging directly with small-scale fishermen (who comprise almost 70% of the roughly 3 million Indonesian fishermen). By partnering with seafood supply chains and associated industries, who have a commitment to engage in sustainability work, MDPI’s work contributes to sustainable fisheries and the development of robust fisheries management. We address the persistent sustainability issues through improved data collection, the development of effective fisheries management, private sector engagement, and capacity development for government institutions and industry professionals.