2nd National Working Group EAFM website (www.eafm-indonesia.net) was launched on Thursday, 17 October 2013 during an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) implementation progress meeting in Bogorby the Deputy Director of Territorial Sea and Islands, Directorate of Fish Resources, Ms Erni Widjajanti. The website is a refinement of the pre-existing site with updated displaysand information andserves a main function as database ofIndonesia’swild caughtfisheries resources management.

The meeting began with presentations on EAFM progress in East Flores Regency and Wakatobi, the progress of EAFM policies at national level, followed with completing an implementation progress matrix of the National Plan of Action Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI – CFF) goal 2 Year 2010 – 2013, and a proposed implementation matrix of the National Plan of Action CTI – CFF goal 2 Year2014 – 2016.

The first presentation was delivered by Ir. M.I. Erna Di Silva, the Head of Marine and Fisheries Agency (DKP) inEast Flores District. There are several factors threatening fisheries sustainability in East Flores district, which are the shift from traditional to destructive fishing practices using explosives and cyanide, and the increase of market demand for fisheries products in eastern Indonesia. Accompanied with poor data recording on fish resources,ecosystem, fishing techniques, socio-economic and institutional aspects as the founding basis of fisheries management, the situation demonstrate a deviated policy implementation that potentially will lead to the depletion of fisheries resources. In order to overcome the problems, East Flores Marine and Fisheries Agencycollaborate with WWF in conducting survey and data collection to assess fisheries management performance by using EAFM indicators. The surveywas also conducted in bait fisheries for pole and line, where the data resulted would serve as the basis in the formulation of sustainable fisheries policies.

The second presentation on the progress of EAFM implementation in Wakatobi was delivered by Mr. Radini fromWakatobi Marine and Fisheries Agency. Threats over fishing activities in Wakatobi are more or less the sameto those occurring in East Flores. Working closely with WWF-TNC Joint Program, Wakatobi district government initiated several programs earlier with the availability of coral reefs management strategic plans in each villages, and local regulations and policies on fishing gears and its supporting devices. Head of District Decree as well as Village Decree on Marine Protcted Area have also been made available including encouraging local regulations on sustainable fisheries based on EAFM indicator assessment result.

A third presentation on EAFM adoption progress at national level was delivered by Abdullah Habibi from WWF-Indonesia as representative of the National Working Group 2 – CTI on EAFM. Currently, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) through the Fish Resources Directorate had agreed the application of EAFM indicators and the basis in developing fisheries management measures. Further, the Directorate of Fish Resources, MMAF willalso support adoption of EAFM indicatorsbydevelopingof specific regulations. In addition, to support implementation of EAFM, NWG2 have agreed to develop a Specialized WorkingStandard, assembled in order to provide a common groundon EAFM for either local-level managers as well as policy makers. Currently, the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM), Directorate of Fish Resources and National Working Group 2 - CoralTriangle Initiative (NWG 2 – CTI) arecollaborating and coordinating in a process t develop EAFM Specialized Working Competency Standards (SK3).

The meeting was finalized with completing the implementation progress matrix National Plan of Action Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI – CFF) goal 2 Year2010 – 2013and the proposed implementation matrix of the National Plan of Action CTI – CFF goal 2 implementation Year 2014 – 2016 participated by Directorate of Surveillance of Marine and Fishery Resources (PSDKP), Research Centre for Fishery Management and Conservation of Fishery Resources (P4KSI), Directorate of Marine and Coastal Areas, Directorate General of Marine Affairs, Directorate General of Coastal Areas and Small Islands (Ditjen. KP3K), Directorate of Fish and Area Conservation (KKJI), Directorate of Fish Resources, Directorate General of Higher Education (Ditjen. PT), Directorate General of Processing and Marketing of Fishery Products (Ditjen. P2HP),and WWF-Indonesia.
(Chiquita Tri Rezki)