Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Fisheries and

for a world without hunger Aquaculture Department

Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles

The Republic of Indonesia

Part I Overview and main indicators

1. Country brief
2. General geographic and economic indicators
3. FAO Fisheries statistics

Part II Narrative (2011)

4. Production sector
Marine sub-sector
Inland sub-sector
Aquaculture sub-sector - NASO
Recreational sub-sector Source of information
United Nations Geospatial Information Section http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm
5. Post-harvest sector Imagery for continents and oceans reproduced from GEBCO, www.gebco.net

Fish utilization
Fish markets
6. Socio-economic contribution of the fishery
sector
Role of fisheries in the national economy
Trade
Food security
Employment
Rural development
7. Trends, issues and development
Constraints and opportunities
Government and non-government sector policies and development strategies
Research, education and training
Foreign aid
8. Institutional framework
9. Legal framework
10. References

Additional information
11. FAO Thematic data bases
12. Publications
13. Meetings & News archive

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

 Part I Overview and main indicators

Part I of the Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile is compiled using the most up-to-date
information available from the FAO Country briefs and Statistics programmes at the time of
publication. The Country Brief and the FAO Fisheries Statistics provided in Part I may,
however, have been prepared at different times, which would explain any inconsistencies.

Country brief
Prepared: July 2014

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic State with some 17 508 islands (of which 6 000 are inhabited), and
54 716 km of coastline, and the world’s fourth most populous nation (247.5 million).

In 2012, Indonesia’s fishery production reached approximately 8.9 million tonnes, of which inland and marine
catch accounted for about 5.8 million tonnes and aquaculture 3.1 million tonnes in addition to 6.5 million
tonnes of seaweeds. About 95 percent of fishery production comes from artisanal fishermen. In 2012, around
6.4 million people were engaged in inland and marine fishing and fish farming. The marine fishing fleet
comprised 620 830 vessels in 2012, with 28 percent of non-powered boats and 39 percent of out-board engine.
An additional 184 900 vessels (of which 23 percent had engine) composed the fleet operating in inland waters.

An important proportion of the catch is consumed in dried, salted, smoked, boiled or fermented form, while 46
percent is consumed fresh. About 54 percent of the animal protein supply comes from fish and seafood. Per
caput annual consumption has risen from an average of 10.6 kg in the 1970s to the current 28.9 kg (2011). In
2013, the total value of exported fishery commodities was USD 3.8 billion, while imports to the country
amounted to USD 0.4 billion. The fishing industry accounted for 21 percent of Indonesia’s agricultural
economy and 3 percent of national GDP in 2012.

The following constraints affect fisheries management and aquaculture development: overfishing in both
marine and inland fisheries waters; low income and standard of living for fishers and fish farmers; lack of
financial support in terms of credit schemes; weak fisheries management, particularly concerning monitoring,
surveillance and enforcement (MCS). Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major problem in
the country.

To address these issues the National Mid Term Priority Framework (2010-2014) has set the following
priorities: community development and empowerment through programmes for small-scale fishers and fish
farmers in coastal and small island areas; mitigation and adaptation strategies to climate change for the marine
and fisheries sector; improvement of the quality and profitability of fish products for small-scale fishers;
improvement of fishery-related infrastructure; strengthened MCS systems to improve management and combat
IUU fishing; strengthening human resource capacity.

Membership in Regional Fishery Bodies

Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC)
Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)
Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA)
Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC)
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
General geographic and economic indicators

Table 1 - Indonesia - General Geographic and Economic Data

Area: 5 455 675.22 km²

Water area: 3 544 743.90 million km²
Shelf area: n.a.
Length of coastline: 104 000.00 km

242.43 million
Population (2013):
(based on National Statistical Bureau )

GDP at purchaser's value (2007): USD 432.06 billion

GDP per head (2006): USD 1 640.84
Agricultural GDP (2006): USD 45.6 billion
Fisheries GDP (2006): USD 7.8
Source

Country area 1 910 930 km2 FAOSTAT. 2013

Land area 1 811 570 km2 FAOSTAT. 2013
Inland water area 99 360 km2 Computed. 2013
Population - Est. & Proj. 258.464 millions FAOSTAT. 2018
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) area 6 051 529 km2 VLIZ
GDP (current US$) 1 042 173 millions World Bank. 2018
GDP per capita (current US$) 3 894 US$ World Bank. 2018
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 12.81 % of GDP World Bank. 2018

FAO Fisheries statistics

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

 Part II Narrative Updated 2011

Part II of the Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile provides supplementary information
that is based on national and other sources and that is valid at the time of compilation (see
update year above). References to these sources are provided as far as possible.

Production sector
Indonesia is one of the main fish producers in Southeast Asia. Capture fisheries and aquaculture occur in
marine, brackish and freshwater. The slow growth of capture fisheries has been compensated by the faster
growth of aquaculture in the last decades.

Table 3 - Indonesia – Trend in fish production 2005-2009 (tonnes)

Aver. Annual Rate of

SECTOR YEAR
Increase (%)
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
TOTAL CAPTURE 4 705 4 806 5 044 5 003 5 107
2.09
FISHERIES 869 112 737 115 971
4 408 4 512 4 734 4 701 4 812
Marine capture fisheries 2.23
499 191 280 933 235
Freshwater capture 297 293 310 301 295
-0.08
fisheries 370 921 457 182 736
TOTAL 2 163 2 682 3 193 3 855 4 708
21.47
AQUACULTURE 674 596 565 200 563
890 1 365 1 509 1 966 2 820
Marine aquaculture 34.41
074 918 528 002 083
Brackish water 643 629 933 959 907
10.84
aquaculture 975 610 833 509 123
331 381 410 479 554
Freshwater: Pond culture 13.72
962 946 373 167 067
Freshwater: Bamboo 101
67 889 56 200 63 929 75 769 12.34
cage 771
109 143 190 263 238
Freshwater Net cage 23.18
421 251 893 169 606
120 105 111
Paddy field 85 009 86 913 -5.65
353 671 584
6 869 7 488 8 238 8 858 9 816
TOTAL Fish production 9.34
543 708 302 315 534
Source: MMAF, 2009

Marine sub-sector
In Indonesia marine fisheries can be grouped into two main segments, small-scale and large-scale. Further,
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
small-scale fisheries consist of two major segments, artisanal and commercial, while large-scale fisheries are
basically the so-called industrial fisheries. Commercial fisheries are characterized by large vessels that employ
medium-size purse seines, Danish seines and gillnets.

Catch profile
Being in the tropics, catches are multispecies in nature comprising demersal and pelagic species, such as:
snappers, groupers, sweetlips, mackerels, scads, anchovies, tunas (mostly skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye), penaeid
shrimp, squids, and others.

The Indonesian fisheries administration records the annual catch by commodities and by fishing gear. Statistics
showing the number of fishing vessels and fishing gear are also available. For the last five years the annual
catch is also presented for eleven statistical areas (also called "management areas"). These are shown in Figure
13.

Figure 13 – Indonesia - Eleven statistical areas, also called” fisheries management area” or FMA

Landing sites
Most catches are landed in fishing ports. Only a small share of the catch is landed in public commercial ports
that do not have facilities for fishing vessels. There are six large fishing ports, 14 located in Java (Jakarta and
Cilacap), two in Sumatra (Belawan and Bungus), one in North Sulawesi (Bitung) and the other in Southeast
Sulawesi (Kendari). In addition there are 13 medium-sized fishing ports, while the remaining two fishing ports
are small.

Fishing practices/systems
On motorized vessels fishermen use various fishing gears ranging from the traditional ones employed aboard
sail boats to mechanized gears such as trawls, purse seines and longlines. The increased use of modern fishing
gears is reflected by the growing number of fishing vessels, in particular the number of motorized vessel.
Nonetheless, the number of non-motorized vessels is still high.

Other developments in Indonesian fisheries are the growing number of fish aggregating devices (FAD) used in
pelagic fishing, and the increasing popularity of hand line fishing, purse seining and longline fishing for tuna.

Table 4 – Indonesia – Fishing vessels

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
 Category and Size of Boat
2009
Total 590 352
Non Powered Boat 193 798
Outboard Motor 236 632
Inboard Motor 159 922
<5 GT 105 121
5 – 10 GT 32 214
10 – 20 GT 8 842
Size of Boat 20 – 30 GT 7 403
30 – 50 GT 2 407
50 – 100 GT 2 270
100 -200 GT 1 317
> 200 GT 348

Main resources
The catch of demersal and small-pelagic species as well as shrimps comes largely from fishing on the
continental shelf, in the Malacca Strait, the southern part of South China Sea, the Java Sea and in the Arafura
Sea. Most of the large pelagic species, amongst which tuna species (skipjack, bigeye and yellowfin tuna), are
caught in the archipelagic waters in the mid and eastern part of the country as well as in the Indonesian EEZ
and on the high seas. Indonesia is one of the main producers of tuna in the world.

Table 5 – Indonesia - Marine Capture Fisheries Production (metric tonnes)

Commodity 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Sardines 274 296 333 651 346 488 313 706 371 325
Scads 290 609 304 739 305 485 327 367 330 687
Mackerels 222 032 254 960 259 458 249 438 260 833
Hairtail 38 793 40 824 47 414 73 707 73 848
Snapper 97 044 109 312 116 994 109 299 115 523
Grouper 45 856 50 189 61 763 57 913 74 040
Tuna 183 144 159 404 191 558 194 173 203 269
Other fish 794 377 602 117 503 988 430 635 410 904
Crustaceans 249 561 279 140 316 587 304 872 302 601
Mollusks 144 634 159 101 171 592 166 390 168 713
Others 7 601 7 427 6 453 5 497 10 106
TOTAL 2 347 947 2 300 864 2 327 780 2 232 997 2 321 849
Source: Directorate General of Capture Fisheries (DGCF), 2010

Management applied to main fisheries

One of the objectives of fisheries development, as stated in the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Marine Affairs
and Fisheries 2010-2014, is to manage the fisheries in a sustainable manner. Input control has been practised
since the early 1970s and has been implemented through a licensing system in which the Central Government
(through the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries ”MOMAF”) grants fishing licences for vessels larger
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
than 30 GT, the Provincial Governments for vessels of 20-30 GT and the Regency Governments for vessels of
5-20 GT. An open access regime still applies for vessels of less than 30 GT fishing under the jurisdiction of
provincial and regency governments.

Technical measures are applied in the form of (i) minimum mesh sizes for the cod-end of trawl nets (1 inch for
shrimp trawls and 5 cm for fish trawls), (ii) minimum mesh sizes for purse seines, (iii) maximum length of
gillnets (10 km), and (iv) imposition of a minimum distance between FADs of at least 10 nautical miles.No
output control has been practised in Indonesia. The exception is the management of Southern Bluefin tuna
fisheries for which Indonesia as a member of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna
(CCSBT) has accepted output controls.Economic incentives have been given, such as fuel subsidies for vessels
of less than 30 GT and credit programmes for small-scale fisheries.

Inland sub-sector
Inland capture fisheries take place in lakes, reservoirs and rivers. Fishermen use traditional gears such as hand
line, cast net, trap and gillnet. Unlike in marine capture fisheries, no industrial activity has developed in inland
capture fisheries. The majority of fishermen, active in inland capture fisheries, are not full-time fishermen. Most
of them have part-time jobs in agriculture. The difficulties faced by inland fishermen are largely caused by
human activities such as pollution by agricultural pesticides and human wastes from large urban
areas.Aquaculture in lakes and reservoirs is important. In the course of the last decade cage culture, in
particular, has become popular. However, during the rainy season cage culture has caused recurring fish kills,
as the surface layer of cold water then sinks and the deep water - with less oxygen – rises to the surface.

Aquaculture sub-sector
In Indonesia aquaculture has a long history. The country has enjoyed rapid growth in various aquaculture
sectors in recent years. In 2009 it was the fourth largest aquaculture producer in the world. Aquaculture in
freshwater bodies has occurred for ages, especially in Java where the culture of carp (Cyprinus carpio), tilapia
(Tilapia nilotica) and gouramy (Osphronemus goramy) is common. In brackish water, culture of milk fish
(Chanos chanos) is popular on the north coast of Java, in particular in the north coast of east Java. Culture of
Tiger shrimps (Penaeus monodon) was initiated at the end of the 1980s and that of white-legged shrimps
(Litopenaeus vannamei) was initiated a decade later. Shrimp culture has expanded not only in Java, but also in
Sumatra, Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara. With widespread international support the shrimp and milkfish
industry have rapidly implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs).

Aquaculture activities in the marine environment started with culture of groupers in the early 1990s as the
demand for this species grew. Currently Indonesia is the leading country in terms of grouper seed production
using artificial propagation. This seed has not only ensured development of grouper culture in Indonesia but
seeds have also supported grouper culture in countries of the region. In recent years the culture of seaweeds
(mainly Eucheuma and Graciliaria) has also become popular, especially in the middle and eastern part of the
country. Pearl culture takes place primarily in the vicinity of the islands in Nusa Tenggara, and plays an
important role as a source of pearls for export.
With the increased pressure of fishing in the marine environment, capture fisheries landings are stagnating and
a growing share of fish originates in aquaculture.

More information at: National Aquaculture Sector Overview (NASO)

Recreational sub-sector
Recreational fishing is not common. However, in recent years a small number of hobbyists have been fishing
for pelagic fish, using trolling and hand lines, in the vicinities of big cities (Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali).
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Post-harvest sector

Fish utilization
Fish is consumed fresh, frozen, smoked and canned. Post-harvest activities range from traditional drying,
salting, and smoking, to canning and more modern forms of processing (e.g. production of fish loins).

In the country most fish are consumed as food. About 55 % of fish production is consumed fresh. There are
severe limits to the supply of ice and availability of refrigerated storage and transport facilities, so the balance is
processed and consumed as dried and salted, smoked or fermented fish. There are about 10 000 small fish
processing operations, generally using traditional methods. Less than 2 % of the catch is canned. The canneries
utilize pelagic species, mostly oil sardines and skipjack. Some fish, mostly shrimp and tuna, are frozen and
exported.Only a small proportion is converted into fish oil, fishmeal and silage, that is into products for animal
feed or other usages. Production of fishmeal takes place mostly in conjunction with canning of fish.

Fish markets
Fish markets are concentrated in Java reflecting the fact that most of the Indonesian population reside on this
island (more than 60 %). The largest domestic markets are found in big cities, where restaurants and hotels are
significant buyers.

Socio-economic contribution of the fishery sector

Fisheries play an important role in the economy of the country. A relatively large number of people (more than
6 million) are involved directly and indirectly in the sector (Table 9). The sector also provides cheap protein for
the human diet and also ingredients for animal feeds.

Role of fisheries in the national economy

Fisheries have an important role in providing employment and generating foreign exchange earnings. In terms
of GDP the contribution is around 20% to the agricultural GDP and about 2.5 % to the Indonesian GDP
(Tables 6a and 6b).

Table 6a – Indonesia - Gross domestic products in the fisheries sector (in million USD)

Gross Domestic Product 2005 2006 2007 2008

GDP in Fisheries 6 626.6 8 259.5 10 855.3 15 159.5
GDP in Agriculture 40 463.3 48 135.9 60 176.9 79 254.6
GDP in Total 308 253.5 371 024.1 438 813.5 550 447.7
% GDP Fish. to Agric. 16.4 17.2 18.0 19.1
% GDP Fish. to Total 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.8
(Source: Statistics Indonesia (BPS) website)

Table 6b – Indonesia - Gross domestic products in the fisheries sector (in billion rupiahs)

Gross Domestic Product at current

2005 2006
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
2007 2008*)
 2005 2006 2007 2008*)
prices
GDP in Fisheries 59 639.30 74 335.30 97 697.30 137 249.50
2 458 2 967 3 534 4 427
GDP without oil & gas
234.30 040.30 406.50 193.30
2 774 3 339 3 950 4 951
GDP in Total
281.10 216.80 893.20 356.70
% GDP Fish. to without oil & gas 2.43 2.51 2.76 3.10
% GDP Fish. to Total 2.15 2.23 2.47 2.77
(Source: BPS website)*preliminary figures

Trade

Demand

During the first decade of the 21st century Indonesia’s economic growth was rapid and it outpaced population
growth. This led to an increase in the disposable income per person which in turn led to a growing per caput
demand for fish and fish products. The market is centered in Java, not only for fish as food but, given that the
island is a centre also for aquaculture, demand for fishmeal is also high in this island. A slight decline of catch
from marine capture fisheries in recent years has resulted in the increase of fish import from unconventional
countries in Asia, especially from India and Vietnam, in particular the import of small pelagic species. The
import is not only for human consumption but also for bait required in the tuna long line fisheries.

Supply

Production of fish has increased during the last decade with the fastest rate of increase shown by the
aquaculture sector. This has led to an increase in the overall supply of fish and fish products and a growing
consumption (Table 7).

Table 7 – Indonesia - Trend of fish supply

Average rate of increase

Item YEAR
(%)
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008*
Fish supplied (1000 4 5 5 6 7
7.19
tons) 901.13 250.00 759.20 381.00 071.93
Per capita supply (kg) 22.58 23.95 25.94 28.28 30.95 6.13
(MMAF, 2009)

In face of a growing population and stagnating capture fisheries the growing demand for fish and fish products
most likely will be met through a mixture of imports and a growing aquaculture output.

Trade

Fisheries exports are important. They contribute to foreign exchange earnings. Exports reached all five
continents (Table 8) with the main markets being: Japan, EU, USA, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan
(Province of China), Vietnam and the Republic of Korea. Tuna, especially fresh tuna, is exported mostly to
Japan and the USA where it is consumed as sashimi. A recent development is the growing exports to countries
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
in the Middle East.

Table 8 – Indonesia - Distribution of fish export destination (2007)

Destination Value in million USD

Asia 1 089.3
Africa 42.6
Australia 26.9
America 804.1
Europe 296.1
Destination Value in 1000 USD
Japan 590 434
America 762 264
Europe 287 647
Other countries 618 575
(MMAF, 2007)Indonesia also imports fish and fish products, especially from East Asian countries. In 2007 the
value of fishmeal imported for use in aquaculture was almost USD 143 million. Almost half the fishmeal
imports came from Peru.

Food security
Although in Indonesia fish can fetch a very high price, like in the case of southern bluefin tuna, in general fish
is a cheap animal protein. Poor people can afford to buy dried salted tropical fish such as salted pony fish and
anchovy. In addition, the fishery sector provides employment to many. In remote areas the fishery sector may
not receive any government support, but it does provide livelihood opportunities to local people. That is why,
during the crisis that occurred in the country’s economy in 1998, the fishery sector withstood the crisis well and
recovered faster than, for example, the manufacturing sector. In this sense the fishery sector provides a
significant contribution to the food security of the country.

Employment
Fisheries provide employment in fishing, aquaculture, post-harvest and other related activities (Table 9).

Table 9. Employment in the fisheries sector individuals)

Aver. Rate of
Subsector 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
increase
2 590 2 700 2 755 2 736 2 641
Capture fisheries 0.54
364 174 794 566 967
2 506 2 275 2 277 2 346 2 493
Aquaculture 0.04
614 307 735 052 193
Processing & 1 171
526 931 553 278 594 774 649 382 25.54
Marketing 981
Other related
n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
activities
5 623 5 528 5 628 5 732 6 307
TOTAL 3.00
909 759 303 000 141
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
(MMAF, 2009)*estimate

Rural development
Aquaculture has an important role in rural development, particularly where the level of technology used is
relatively low and so many communities can afford to engage in such aquaculture. West Java is famous for
communities that culture common carp, Central Java for goramy (Osphronemus goramy) and cat fish (Clarias
sp.) culture, the north coast of East Java for milkfish (Chanos chanos) and South Sulawesi for rabbit fish
culture.

Trends, issues and development

Development of fisheries in the country is to a large extent market-driven. During the beginning of the 21st
century capture fisheries grew only slowly but this was compensated by the fast growth of aquaculture.

Constraints and opportunities

Development of fisheries in the western part of the country has occurred faster than in the eastern part. This is
related to the fact that in the Eastern part there is a lack of infrastructure such as port facilities, electricity,
transport facilities and fuel supply for vessels. Moreover, the western part is closer to markets, especially to
Java. A shortage of markets may be the main constraint for the development of fisheries in the eastern part.
When the Eastern part will be better provided for in terms of fisheries infrastructures, including those that
facilitate market access, it is likely that fisheries production of the country will increase appreciably.

Government and non-government sector policies and development

strategies
Lately the Government has encouraged the private sector to form fisheries associations. In support of such
developments the Government has established semi-government organizations where Government staff and
stakeholders are full members. Examples are the Tuna Committee, the Shrimp Committee and the Seaweed
Committee all created in 2004. Relevant fisheries associations have become members of these committees.

Research, education and training

Research
The Agency for Research and Development of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is the research organization under
the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries that is responsible for the conduct of research. Various research
institutions are under this agency. Under the capture fisheries umbrella are the Marine Fisheries Research
Institute (in Jakarta), the Inland Fisheries Research Institute (in Palembang) and the Freshwater Research
Institute (in Bogor), while aquaculture research is handled by the Research Institute for Freshwater
Aquaculture, Brackishwater Aquaculture and Mariculture. In addition to these institutes, special institutes have
been established such as the “Research Institute for Post Harvest Technology” and the “Research Institute for
Socio-economics”.

Education and training

Under the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, there is the Agency for Human Resources Development
that is responsible for fisheries education, training and extension. Education is available in high schools and
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
colleges, located throughout the country under the coordination of this Agency. In addition, there are some
universities offering an academic education in fisheries subjects.

Foreign aid
Indonesia does not receive much foreign aid for fisheries development. At the time of writing three sizeable
projects are being implemented. The first is the ”Coral Reef Management and Rehabilitation Project”
(COREMAP) supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the
World Bank. The second large project – the Coral Triangle Initiative - is regional in character. It is undertaken
in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. Some national
donors (ADB, USAID, AUSAID, GEF) supported the project, by allocating funds to participating NGOs.
Lastly, Indonesia has participated in a recent regional project, the ”Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem”,
financially supported by the GEF. FAO assisted the country in post-tsunami projects, especially in Aceh and
Nias.

Institutional framework
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) was established in 2000 as an expansion of the former
Directorate General of Fisheries, which was part of the Ministry of Agriculture. The number of staff has
increased appreciably as a result. However, MMAF has experienced a couple of structural changes since its
establishment. The current structure of MMAF is given in Figure 14. The structure includes:

Secretary General
Directorate General of Capture Fisheries
Directorate General of Control and Surveillance
Directorate General of Aquaculture
Directorate General of Product Processing and Marketing
Directorate General of Coastal and Small Island Development
Agency of Research and Development
Agency of Fish Quarantine and Fish Quality Assurance
Agency of Marine And Fisheries Human Resources Development
Inspectorate General

The current website of the Ministry is www.kkp.go.id, (in Indonesian).

Figure 14 – Indonesia - Organigramme of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries

Source:MMAF

The institutional responsibility for fisheries management rests with the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
(the Directorate of Resources Management as the focal point but including also the Directorate of Fishing
License) which has to work together with some units in the Directorate General of Control and Surveillance. In
addition, they cooperate with the Marine Police and the Navy in enforcement operations.

The Central Government (MMAF) is responsible for the management of the fisheries sector in the country.
MMAF is responsible for issuing fishing licences for vessels larger than 30 GT, while the Provincial
Governments are responsible for issuing fishing licences for vessel of 10-30 GT, and Regency Governments
for vessels of less than 10GT. In the execution of MCS activities, the MMAF is supported by the Navy and by
the Marine Police.

The number of fishing vessels has increased almost in all size categories. In an effort to prevent further growth
of fishing pressure the Government has developed a National Plan of Action to source the existing national
resources to avoid for reducing fishing capacity as a contribution to the implementation of the International
Plan of Action to reduce fishing capacity.

The MMAF also has a unit responsible for the conservation of fish stocks under the Directorate General of
Coastal and Small Island Development. The Conservation Directorate has identified and designated a number
of conservation areas as a means to protect important habitats and eliminate destructive fishing. So far the
Directorate of Conservation has declared 4 million ha as marine parks. They are fishery conservation areas and
are located throughout the country.

To support fisheries management the Agency for Research and Development is responsible for fisheries
research activities. In addition, in the marine sector, a research establishment under another agency, namely the
”Central Research Institute for Oceanography” under the Indonesia Institute of Science, is also providing
research support for marine life and oceanography, while its sister agency dealing with the freshwater
environment is the ”Research Institute for Limnology”, which also supports the Fisheries Research
Agency.The MMAF established a national committee for fish stock assessment in 2005. Its task is to assess the
impact of fishing on marine resources. A marine resources status report has been produced in 2006. An
updated version was being finalized by the Committee in late 2010.

Indonesia, though rich in fish resources, considering the vast area of its archipelagic waters, faces a big
challenge in the form of IUU fishing. It has been estimated that annually fish for a value of more than USD 1
billion is illegally caught and transferred abroad. Indonesia together with Australia has worked to promote
regional cooperation in an effort to combat and eliminate IUU fishing. As implementation of the International
Plan of Action to eliminate IUU Fishing, Indonesia in 2005 developed a National Plan.

The European Community has recently enacted a regulation concerning the certification of fish to be imported
into the EU to ensure that the fish has not been caught through IUU fishing. This regulation came into force in
January 2010 and Indonesia has cooperated with the EU in its implementation. Meanwhile NGOs (WWF and
SFP) are helping local exporters of tuna, snapper, grouper and blue swimming crab to obtain MSC certificates.
This exercise provides lessons in how to identify both weaknesses in the current management of these fisheries
and in how to improve the management process.

In the management of highly migratory species, Indonesia works together with Regional Fisheries
Management Organizations (RFMO). Indonesia became a full member of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
(IOTC) in 2007 and of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) in 2008. At
the beginning of 2011 Indonesia is a cooperating non-member of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries
Commission.

MMAF considers it essential to collaborate with stakeholders in fisheries management. This is possible through
fishery associations, some of which had emerged by the early 1980s. They represent groups, such as the tuna
fishing industry. They include: ASTUIN (the Association of Indonesian Tuna Fisheries), and ATLI (the
Association of Indonesian Tuna Longliners). HPPI (the Association of Shrimp Trawlers in Indonesia)
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
represents the shrimp fishing industry, APIKI (the Indonesian Association of Canneries) represents the canning
industry, and APCI (the Association of Cold Storage Owners) represents owners of cold storages. These
associations coordinate their activities through an apex association called GAPPINDO (Federation of
Indonesian Fisheries Associations).

Aquaculture associations also exist. They include the ”Shrimp Club” and ASBUMI (the Association for
Indonesian Pearl Culture).
The Government encourages continuous communication with stakeholders. This occurs inter alia in national
committees which have been established for the main commodities. Amongst the committees the National
Tuna Committee (KTI), the National Shrimp Committee (KUI), the National Seaweed Committee (KRL) and
the National Committee for Aquarium fish (KIHI). Each committee is headed by an independent chairman and
has members representing both the Government and the private sector.

Legal framework
The legal framework for the fisheries sector is Fisheries Law No. 31/2004 (amended Law No. 45/2009). The
autonomy Law (Law No. 22/199), amended by Law 32/2004, establishes that the fisheries sector in the
provinces is under the responsibility of the Provincial Government (Governor). Currently there are 33
provinces in the country and each province consists of many regencies. Each Regency Government is
subordinate to a Provincial Government. The Regency Government (headed by a Mayor, locally called Bupati)
has some responsibilities for fisheries for which they are accountable to their respective Provincial
Government.

In regard to fisheries surveillance, MMAF cooperates closely with the Navy and the Marine Police. The
MMAF and the Navy are responsible for the surveillance in the EEZ, while the MMAF and the Police
Department are responsible for surveillance in the territorial sea and the archipelagic waters. In addition, joint
surveillance operations are a common practice. They are coordinated by the Coordinating Agency
(BAKORKAMLA) which is headed by a representative of the Navy.
More information at: National Aquaculture Legislation Overview (NALO)

More information at: FAOLEX legislative database

References
BPS. 2010. Produk Domestik Bruto. Central Agency for Statistics [online]. www.bps.go.id [accessed Dec.
2010.].
DGCF. 2010. Capture Fisheries Statistics of Indonesia 2009. Directorate General of Capture Fisheries,
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. pp. 134.
DGA. 2010. Aquaculture Statistics. Directorate General of Aquaculture, Ministry of Marine Affairs and
Fisheries, pp. 165.
MMAF. 2009. Fisheries in facts and figures (in Indonesian). Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, pp. 154.
MMAF. 2007. Export Statistics of Fishery Products. Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, pp. 561.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

 Additional information

FAO Thematic data bases

FAO Country Profile
Marine Resources reports (FIRMS)
Albacore - Indian Ocean
Bigeye tuna - Indian Ocean
Black Marlin - Indian Ocean
Blue marlin - Indian Ocean
Bullet tuna - Indian Ocean
Frigate tuna - Indian Ocean
Indo-Pacific king mackerel - Indian Ocean
Indo-Pacific sailfish - Indian Ocean
Kawakawa - Indian Ocean
Longtail tuna - Indian Ocean
Marine resources - Eastern Indian Ocean
Marine resources - Western Central Pacific
Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel - Indian Ocean
Sharks - Global
Skipjack tuna - Indian Ocean
Southern Bluefin tuna - Global
Squid - Global
Striped Marlin - Indian Ocean
Swordfish - Indian Ocean
Tuna and tuna-like species - Global
Yellowfin tuna - Indian Ocean
Fishery reports (FIRMS)
Indonesia : Shark Fisheries : 2004
Pacific islands region : Marine fisheries : 2009
World : Deep-sea fisheries : 2009
World : Global Tuna Fisheries : 2009
National Aquaculture Sector Overview (NASO)
National Aquaculture Legislation Overview (NALO)
Database on Port State Measures
FAOLEX legislative database
Database on Introductions of Aquatic Species
Regional Fishery Bodies (RFB)
Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC)
Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)
Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA)
Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC)
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
FAO Fishing Vessels Finder (FVF)

Publications

List of relevant FAO publications

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Meetings & News archive

Meetings archive
News archive

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department