Almost all coastal fishermen in North Seram and West North Seram (Serutbar) Subdistricts, Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province complain about reduced fish catches, smaller sizes and increasingly distant fishing areas. These complaints are also accompanied by community unrest about the perpetrators of the use of bombs, potassium, dive compressors, and also basic nets with small mesh sizes in the Serutbar Waters area.

There are still some fishermen who think that fish is an unlimited natural resource. In the end, fishermen compete to catch fish in various ways, the important thing for them is to catch as much as possible and get maximum profit.

From the results of daily fisheries data collection conducted by the WWF-Indonesia Fisheries Enumerator team for one year of data collection (November 2017-October 2018), the total overall fisheries production in the Serutbar region reached 100,000 kg, with an average number of fleets each month of 68 boats. The fish species with the highest catches are banana fish (Pterocaesio sp) with a total weight of 57,982 kg and fly fish (Decapterus macarellus) with a total weight of 5727 kg, the rest are reef fish dominated by snapper and grouper.

To answer the challenge of fisheries management from the threat of IUU (Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated) fishing in the Serutbar Waters, in Maluku Province, the implementation of capture fisheries business has been regulated in Governor Regulation Number 42a of 2017 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of Capture Fisheries Business Activities for Small Scale Fishermen. One of the points listed is to register small-scale fishing vessels under the size of 10 GT to obtain Proof of Fishery Vessel Registration (BPKP) and Small Pass. This Small Pass functions like the identity of a Vehicle Number Certificate (STNK).

WWF-Indonesia as an implementing partner of the USAID Sustainable Ecosystems Advanced (USAID SEA) Project provides support to fishermen in the Serutbar region to register their vessels, starting from Labuan Village which registered 25 fishing boats <10 GT in September 2018. The vessel registration stage begins with the collection of files in the form of; application letter for vessel measurement, photocopy of ID card, certificate of craftsman (who built the vessel), certificate of proof of vessel ownership and photocopy of NPWP. The Small Pass will only be issued after the files are verified by the Kesyahbandaran and Port Authority (KSOP) team from the Transportation Agency, as well as checking the files while measuring the dimensions of the ship by a team of measuring experts appointed by KSOP.

While for BPKP, fishermen need to collect the following files; BPKP application letter, copy of ID card, business domicile certificate, copy of Small Pass, copy of vessel safety certificate, technical specification of fishing gear, and stamped statement letter stating the ability of fishermen to report their catch. The file is verified by the Provincial Marine and Fisheries Agency (DKP), then the vessel physical check officer from DKP conducts a physical inspection of fishing vessels <10 GT. After the fisheries supervisor compiles the physical check report, the BPKP is then issued.

On February 22, 2019, 25 fishing boats in Labuan Village officially received the BPKP and Small Pass. "By receiving the BPKP and Small Pass, Labuan Village fishermen are required to contribute to conservation efforts by conducting environmentally friendly capture fisheries activities and preserving protected species such as sea turtles, whale sharks and others," said Mr. Peter Gaspersz, Branch Head of the Marine and Fisheries Service of Island Cluster 3, Maluku Province. Some of the benefits that can be obtained by fishermen with this CPCP are: as an identity for fishing vessels, as a document for applying for SHTI (Surat Hasil Tangkap Ikan) as a requirement for exporting fishery products, as a collateral document for borrowing people's business credit (KUR) at the bank, and applying for subsidized fuel from the Government.

The registration of fishing boats is also a form of community support in the initiation of the Serutbar Marine Protected Area (MPA) and to support sustainable fisheries management and combat IUU fishing. The process of establishing MPAs in the Serutbar region is already in the final stage of reserve by DKP Maluku Province to the Governor. WWF-Indonesia will also continue to encourage the registration of fishing boats throughout the Serutbar region and make Labuan Village an example in the boat registration process.