Bahasa Indonesia


Down to Earth No.83, December 2009

Marine resources for climate justice

The following is an abridged translation of an Indonesian-language article by M. Riza Damanik and Abdul Halim.1


The World Oceans Conference and the Coral Triangle Initiative summit in Manado, North Sulawesi,11-15 May 2009 failed to bring any significant improvement in the management of marine resources for benefit of the people - especially those living in coastal areas and small islands.

Civil society groups in the Manado Alliance had advised the Indonesian government to take a more strategic position on the impact of climate change in Indonesia's seas and coastal areas of Indonesia.

If we look back to the XVI and XVII centuries, there was better communication between fishing communities and a high level of traffic between Indonesia's islands, through a network of maritime communications supported by advances in shipping technology, expertise in navigation and a broad maritime spirit. Indonesia's fishing communities were known around the world.

There was no reference to this at the WOC-CTI meetings. Instead, Indonesia's diplomatic efforts were directed at designing ways to extract money from a variety of sources. No attention was paid to the importance of negotiating a marine climate change agenda which protects national interests and which protects, in particular, the constitutional rights of traditional fishing and coastal communities.


Roots of the problem

The deepening crisis in marine resources should have been the main consideration for Indonesia. A 2007 report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO), 2007) stated that "the condition of fish resources in Indonesian waters covering the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, shows evidence of being fully-exploited and over-exploited." Meanwhile, the global demand for fish and fish products continues to increase.

Our now-limited fish resource shows that it is no longer possible to expand the catch substantially in Indonesian waters. Yet the national consumption rate continues to rise: from 21kg per person per year in 2002 to 30kg per person per year in 2009. The government needs to take heed of this and make advance efforts to minimise a predicted national fish crisis in 2015.

Another consideration is the poor management model used in conservation areas - both in terms of quality of management and also the quantity of cases where marine conservation areas conflict with the traditional way of life of coastal fishing communities. In Indonesia, regional marine conservation areas (KKLD) are prone to conflicts between communities and conservation management. The conflicts, which have involved a number of foreign conservation organisations, are sparked by the withdrawal of traditional rights to access, catch fish and manage traditional areas.

Taking these considerations into account, the Manado Alliance advised the government to reconsider its involvement in the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI). In the position paper Evicting fishermen, Drowning Climate Justice the Manado Alliance spelled out that:


The Manado Alliance also warned that:


Climate Justice

A month before the WOC, the Marine and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi claimed that the ocean and shores of Indonesia could absorb 66.9 million tonnes of carbon per year (around 245.6 million tonnes of CO2). However, various studies have concluded that oceans don't actually function as carbon sinks but as carbon sources. Moreover, the trading carbon system called for by the minister would mean even less government authority in the waters of the CTI area.

Poverty and fishing are closely related. Studies show that the pressures faced by small-scale and traditional fishing families and fisheries labourers are more intensive than those faced by other disadvantaged groups in rural areas and slum areas in urban centres, as a result of the impacts of climate change.

Their dependence on a sustainable marine ecosystem and a sustainable fishery become even more problematic with climate change. As their catch is reduced, their options for adaptation to climate change are further squeezed This means that the government needs to give priority to three things: developing new sources of livelihood which aren't dependent on the fish catch, introducing a financing scheme which can be flexible according to the needs of fishing families and intensifying the programme to diversify technology for fisherfolk.

The government also needs to suspend Ministerial Regulation No 5, 2008 on Capture Fishery Enterprises and Law No 27, 2007 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands. These two pieces of legislation clearly show the government's insensitive response to the marine and fisheries crisis. Community-based management is needed as the basis from which to respond to climate change impacts, rather than clusters of fishery enterprises with business licences for coastal waters.

Efforts to improve the lives of traditional fishing and coastal communities and minimise the effects of climate change need to follow the four principles of justice in fisheries:


Notes

1 M. Riza Damanik is the Secretary-General of the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA), Jakarta. Abdul Halim is KIARA's Programme Coordinator, Jakarta.


Sources / further reading

Adrian B. Lapian, 2008. Pelayaran dan Perniahaan Nusantara Abad ke-16 dan 17
Riza Damanik, dkk, 2008. Menjala Ikan Terakhir: Sebuah Fakta Krisis di Laut Indonesia. Jakarta: WALHI.
Riza Damanik, dkk, 2008 Menuju Konservasi Laut yang Pro Rakyat dan Pro Lingkungan. Jakarta: WALHI.
Riza Damanik, 2009. Gerak Mundur Kelautan Kita. Jakarta: KIARA.
M. Riza Damanik dan Muhammad Karim, Perdebatan Belum Usai: Apakah Laut Penyerap atau Pelepas Karbon? Jakarta: KIARA & COMMIT.



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