By: Aliana Nafsal (Fisheries Officer, WWF-Indonesia)

The community's efforts to protect nature through the local wisdom of Negeri Kataloka in East Seram, Maluku, are endless. Recently (17/10), Jou Mega, the King of Kataloka, held a meeting with the entire Saneri (Customary Council) of Negeri Kataloka.

This is an effort to safeguard the security of Koon Island waters from environmentally unfriendly fishing and prohibit fishing in the core zone. Raja Kataloka asked all saneri to urge all people in each hamlet not to fish in Koon waters.

Koon waters are a fish spawning area and have been ngam (prohibited from taking resources for a certain period) by Raja Kataloka. The area is being reserved by the East Seram Regional Government as a Regional Marine Conservation Area, given its importance as the second largest fish spawning ground in Southeast Asia.

In this delivery, Jou Mega as Kataloka Village Official and as Gorom Island Sub-District Head emphasized all saneri to give sanctions if their citizens do fishing in Koon waters.

Jou Mega emphasized that after the ban on fishing in Koon waters for several years, the results have been seen now. "The catch of each fisherman throughout 2017 (January-October) has increased. The community has never stopped eating reef fish, so fishermen and papalele or a group of mothers who buy fish from fishermen and then sell them around the village because fish easily improves the economy," he said optimistically.

During the meeting, Jou Mega also highlighted the issue of environmental cleanliness, especially on the coast and land. The King of Kataloka suggested that all saneri make a hole in each hamlet so that it can be coordinated by the head of soa (hamlet).

"The head of soa can inform the entire community that if they object to throwing garbage from their homes to the place provided, then the children who have been entrusted will come to collect it with the consequence that the child who collects this garbage will be paid Rp. 2000 per day," he suggested, which was agreed by the majority of the heads of soa who were present.

As for other villages outside of Negeri Kataloka's territory, the King will hold a meeting with all the Heads of Administrative Villages in Gorom Island District. "We will also give notification letters, that fishing is not allowed in Koon waters," added Jou Mega.

Arifin, one of the staff of Negeri Kataloka, said that the letter that will be given to all the Heads of Negeri, should contain confirmation of customary sanctions and sanctions according to the law and copies to each hamlet.

"The affirmation of sanctions is important so that the rules are obeyed, while the copy to each hamlet makes us know the number of longboats in one Negeri," he added.

These conservation efforts driven by the people of Negeri Kataloka are not only for their own community, but also for the people of Indonesia in general.