By: Sudarman (Chairman of Mattirotasi Foundation)

Indonesia is in the second position of the top ten tuna producing countries, with 9.9 million tons from 1960-2015. Indonesia's total tuna production in the Central Western Pacific Ocean fishery reached 9.9 million tons from 1960-2015. Indonesia itself is a tuna migration route so that these waters are a meeting area for tuna originating from the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

According to FAO Report (2009), 80% of Indonesia's tuna source comes from the Pacific Ocean, while the remaining 20% comes from the Indian Ocean region. The annual statistical book of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which manages tuna and tuna-like species in the Western Central Pacific Ocean, notes that tuna production in this region in 1960-2015 has reached 71 million tons. The Central Western Pacific Ocean is included in the Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia (WPP-NRI) 713.

One of Indonesia's tuna suppliers comes from Bone Bay, which is in WPP-NRI 713. Of the 8 regencies and 1 city in this area, there are 5 regencies that actively fish for tuna in the Bone Bay area.

One of them is Larompong Selatan Subdistrict, Luwu Regency, which has made tuna a leading product. Since 2005, tuna fishermen in Luwu have formed the Sumber Laut Joint Business Group (KUB).

KUB Sumber Laut, which consists of 77 fishermen, has produced around 181 tons of yellowfin tuna species from 2012 to 2016 with an average group catch of 36 tons per year using longlines with a vessel size of 6 - 9 GT.

Since 2014, Mattirotasi Foundation, a fisheries development acceleration organization that is a partner of WWF-Indonesia, has been supporting Sumber Laut KUB which wants to make a positive commitment in transforming the tuna fishing industry activities in a sustainable and responsible manner.

The commitment of this group needs to be followed up, considering that in WPP-NRI 713, FAO and the Decree of the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Number KEP.45/MEN/2011 concerning Estimation of Potential Fish Resources in WPPNRI, have determined that madidihang tuna is in the over exploited condition, big eye tuna has the status of fully exploited while skipjack is in the moderate condition. Indeed, tuna, skipjack and tuna fisheries are species that are prone to overexploitation.

Therefore, as an effort to save the sustainability of tuna fisheries, Mattirotasi Foundation together with WWF-Indonesia under the JARNUS (Responsible Fisheries Network of the Archipelago) scheme welcomed the commitment of Sumber Laut KUB by identifying tuna fishing activities by the group. This stage is the first step in initiating a plan for a fisheries improvement program (FIP) in Luwu District.

During December 22-25, 2017 in Bonepute Village, Luwu Regency, the identification team consisting of representatives from Mattirotasi Foundation and WWF-Indonesia, directly interviewed fishermen group members. This is to find out the tuna fishing practices that have been carried out by fishermen members of Sumber Laut KUB, starting from the preparation of tuna fishing to the market chain.

"We welcome the improvement and assistance program plan that will be carried out by the JARNUS Team to our fishermen in Bonepute Village," welcomed H. Andi Fatahillah S.Pi, MM, Head of the Luwu Regency Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP), during the identification team's visit to the DKP office. That day, we discussed the tuna fishery improvement program plan and the Luwu Regency Government's program in fisheries.

"We are still constrained by limited human resources, so that fishermen empowerment activities do not run optimally. Not to mention, the scientific status related to fisheries production and stock status is not complete," he explained. "However, in parallel, we are also reforming institutions in the fisheries sector, so that this assistance program can be carried out properly," he continued.

From the results of identification and discussion about tuna fisheries practices in Luwu Regency with various resource persons, it is known that several things still need to be improved. One of them is post-catch handling starting from when the fish is loaded onto the ship until it is landed. In addition, the management of fishing permits and the renewal of government regulations that are still considered not sufficiently socialized to all stakeholders related to tuna fisheries.

With this initial information, it is hoped that in the future, the improvement program that will be carried out can help tuna fishermen in Bonepute Village, Luwu to improve and maintain the quality of their catch so that it remains sustainable, so that it can become their main source of economy and improve their welfare.