Applicability of Adaptive Co-Management within Indonesian Small-Scale Fisheries.

Abstract

Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) governance has historically excluded small-scale fishers from participating in decision-making processes, negatively influencing millions of livelihoods. Governance of SSF is complex due to interactions between users and the environment, both with varying influence on the system. Indonesia is of particular importance for SSF governance due to its archipelagic structure, fishing culture and the direct link between economic viability and SSF. Indonesian SSF provide livelihood, nutrition, and economic security to millions of fishers. Indonesian SSF however face, illegal and unreported fishing practices, fishing location disputes, pollution, poor living conditions, declining fish stocks and extreme volatile weather conditions. Effective governance strategies for SSF that can adapt to dynamic conditions within Indonesian SSF are critically needed. This thesis aims to explore the strength of adaptive co-management indictors present within Indonesian SSF, and how current governance of SSF can be transitioned, aiding in the transition of these fisheries from vulnerability to viability. Adaptive co-management is a governance approach that combines co-management and adaptive management, while integrating the practices of learn-by-doing, social memory and social networks into governance proceedings. This thesis indicates that adaptive co-management is an effective governance approach for complex social-ecological systems such as SSF. With adaptive co-management providing an avenue to facilitate vulnerable to viable SSF transitions. Long-term institutional support, effective capital building and social capital, were the strongest indicators of adaptive co-management, marking these critical for future development in SSF.