Monthly Update Vol. 4, May 2019: SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS ADVANCED (SEA) PROJECT

In West Papua, the project has been working to establish two marine protected areas (MPAs) in the district of Fakfak, namely Nusalasi-Van den Bosch Bay and Berau Bay. These MPAs, spanning almost 350,000 hectares of critical habitats, were initially reserved through a 2017 Governor's Decree and have undergone nearly two years of development, including the creation of zoning and management plans assisted by USAID SEA through a sub-contract with the Conservation International (CI). The establishment of these MPAs requires a ministerial declaration from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) to be recognized in the national MPA system and upgraded from the current green (minimally managed) to yellow (established) under Indonesia's MPA management effectiveness scoring system. This upgrade will allow for budget and operations to begin for implementing the MPAs. In preparation for the declaration, CI facilitated a visit by Fakfak local government and community leaders to Raja Ampat to learn about developing and managing community-based marine tourism. The visit, which involved about 180 participants, resulted in an agreement between the regents of Fakfak and Raja Ampat to work together to strengthen marine tourism development and management in their respective districts. USAID SEA has also collaborated with the Indonesian Fisheries Ministry to present their fisheries assessment work at the 12th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (AFAF). The session, held on April 11, featured six scientific papers detailing findings from the assessment, which involved a series of USAID SEA-supported trainings and workshops on data collection, stock assessment methodologies, and analysis. The papers were the collaborative work of fisheries experts from USAID SEA, WCS, and WWF with senior MMAF researchers. The session provided an opportunity for USAID SEA to promote and disseminate its project results to an international audience. In West Papua, a team of fisheries experts from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has identified a potential institutional model for managing West Papua's anchovy and flying fish fisheries. The team collected anchovy fisheries data through a review of lift-net fishing operations in the area, following a recommendation from USAID SEA to limit the catch of West Papua's anchovy and flying fish fisheries through a quota system. The proposed model integrates management measures into local customary practices, formal regulations, and short-term and long-term catch monitoring activities. USAID SEA and WCS conducted a focus group discussion to provide initial inputs to the development of the 2020-24 North Maluku Provincial Mid-term Development Plan and Marine and Fisheries Agency (DKP) Strategic Plan. The discussion, held on May 2, covered best practices and lessons learned from the implementation of previous mid-term plans and provided inputs for drafting a policy paper on improving the next plans. Presentations from the provincial planning agencies and DKP outlined the provincial vision and mission and highlighted the next five years' priorities and policy directions for North Maluku's marine and fisheries sector. USAID SEA introduced a prototype information system for marine spatial planning (MSP) to Maluku's Marine and Fisheries Agency (DKP-Maluku), which the agency decided to call "SIPRUL." Designed primarily to record and track the process of issuing marine spatial allocation permits, SIPRUL can store applicants' data, interactive maps, and other relevant information, including regulations for marine spatial planning. In the long term, it can provide an accountable and reliable system to monitor, evaluate, control, and improve the allocation of marine use permits to ensure fisheries sustainability. The Fisheries Committee (FCMC) Meeting, held on May 9 in the Maluku capital of Ambon, agreed on guidelines for implementing fisheries co-management in Maluku Province. The meeting also formulated a joint action plan to support sustainable tuna management and to disseminate information on the Marine Stewardship Council Certification scheme (MSC Ecolabel) through Maluku's fisheries management unit.