By: M. Maskur Tamanyira

WWF-Indonesia and the Directorate of Fish Resources of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (Dir. SDI KKP) in collaboration with the Center for Coastal and Marine Studies - Bogor Agricultural University (PKSPL - IPB) and the Indonesian Network for Fisheries Resources Management (INFREM) on August 12 yesterday held a discussion with researchers, academics, and bureaucratic representatives discussing the management of fish resources in inland public waters. Director of SDI KKP Tony Ruchimat, representing the Director General of Capture Fisheries, said that fish resources in Inland Public Waters can support the protein needs of people living around watershed areas (DAS), lake banks, and rivers.

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management - EAFM in Indonesia is applied by using indicators to assess fisheries management performance. EAFM in marine fisheries is also one of the considerations for developing Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) in the Republic of Indonesia Fisheries Management Areas (WPP RI). Based on this, the National Working Group EAFM team plans to replicate the marine fisheries EAFM measures to be applied to inland public water fisheries.

Endi Setiadi Kartamihardja, from the Research Center for Fisheries Management and Conservation of Fish Resources, Marine and Fisheries Research and Development Agency shared his opinion on how to manage fisheries in inland public waters well and sustainably with a basic concept that combines EAFM-based management guidelines in marine fisheries. Six domains used in marine fisheries EAFM indicators are considered important and used in identifying the performance of inland public waters management, including the domains of Fish Resources, Habitat, Fishing Technology, Social, Economic, and Institutional. Furthermore, each domain was filled in together with all experts present to determine indicators that could be able to describe the condition of each domain in the field. After agreeing on each domain and the indicators in it, all invitees present were also invited to determine the next steps of the initiation to build an EAFM scheme in inland waters.