Understanding the links between fishing frequency and food security in the Sunda Banda Seascape, Indonesia

With two-thirds of its territory is seawater fulfilled by mega-diversity biota, Indonesia depends heavily on marine resources to support nation’s protein food security. Some scientists argued that fishermen have higher... [ view full abstract ]

With two-thirds of its territory is seawater fulfilled by mega-diversity biota, Indonesia depends heavily on marine resources to support nation’s protein food security. Some scientists argued that fishermen have higher potential to improve food security and nutrition through direct consumption or indirectly through income. To better understand these pathways, this study aims to examine if fishing households that fished more often and ate more fish would have higher food security level than non-fishing households in five areas in the Sunda Banda Seascape, Indonesia. We sampled various parameters related to fishing capacity and food security at household level, and collected data from 1948 households in 109 settlements, from 2014-17. A statistical analysis was used to see the correlation between fishing behaviour and protein consumption. We also tested whether there are differences in fishing frequency and food security between sampled areas. Our results provide understanding on the extent of fishing behaviour as factors in influencing the household food security, and therefore can be useful to formulate future strategies on marine management to support sustainable fisheries and improve food security. 

Keywords: marine protected areas, food security, fishing frequency, Sunda Banda Seascape, Indonesia