By: Munawir (Capture Fisheries Officer, WWF-Indonesia)

A goal without planning is only a wish (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French writer 1900-1944). That is a piece of wisdom that can describe the activities of the Seafood Savers Team with PT Balinusa Windumas in discussing the draft action plan* on May 22 in Mataram, NTB. PT Balinusa Windumas itself is a member of Seafood Savers that produces various tuna products such as Frozen Tuna Saku, Frozen Tuna Steak and Frozen Tuna Loin which are obtained through fishing with the handline or handline method.

Located at the WWF-Indonesia Mataram Office, a presentation was made on the results of the assessment of Tuna fisheries practices carried out by PT Balinusa Windumas and its supply chain as well as agreeing on the FIP (Fisheries Improvement Program) or tuna fisheries activity improvement program that will be carried out for the next five years.

In general, the tuna fishing techniques that are carried out are quite environmentally friendly. However, this needs to be proven by valid data such as catch log books and data from relevant agencies such as the Provincial/District Marine and Fisheries Office (DKP), Syahbandar, regarding the activities carried out by PT Balinusa Windumas suppliers in East Lombok. Therefore, one of the programs that is the focus of the PT Balinusa Windumas Tuna Fisheries FIP is the collection of catch data in regular time intervals or time series in order to become a source of information related to tuna fishing practices in the target location.

In addition to data collection, compliance with regulations and rules related to fishing, especially in East Lombok, is an additional focus in the action plan. So far, tuna fishermen in East Lombok who are part of PT Balinusa Windumas' supply chain have been committed to complying with and implementing regulations set by the government, both on a regional and national scale. However, in its implementation, there are several technical obstacles, for example the limited number of personnel from government agencies to coordination between agencies related to licensing is still a problem that often occurs. So, the involvement of many parties is needed to ensure that the planned program can run according to the set target.

Therefore, PT Balinusa Windumas together with Seafood Savers through the FIP program that has been prepared hopes to invite related parties to coordinate and find solutions together in guarding the neglect of fisheries practices in East Lombok. This is in line with what was expressed by Mr. Djamil, Head of the Capture Fisheries Division of DKP NTB Province, during the Socialization of Ship Registration and Marking (P2K) to all discussion participants "Cooperation between stakeholders is needed in the implementation of regulations related to fisheries activities in NTB Province".

"Programs that have been prepared and issued by the government will not run well if at the level of fisheries actors such as fishermen and entrepreneurs are not given continuous socialization and assistance regarding implementation in the field" continued Mr. Djamil.

The commitment of PT Balinusa Windumas and its supply chain is a "breath of fresh air" for the government in an effort to encourage fisheries business actors in NTB to implement programs related to fisheries improvement activities, at least in their respective assisted locations. With the commitment and efforts that will be made, it is hoped that it can contribute to improving the management of sustainable tuna fisheries in Indonesia.

Note to editors
*Action plan is a draft activity prepared by WWF-Indonesia team and Seafood Savers member companies in the fisheries improvement program.