Background

The islands and coral reefs of the Aceh-Weh Seascape in northern Sumatra, Indonesia contain a diverse and unique assemblage of tropical marine fauna and are home to human communities with traditional customs and laws to control fishing activities. Since the tsunami of December 2004, local fishing communities have recovered and threats to coral reefs from destructive fishing activities have greatly declined. Nonetheless, the area’s regionally significant populations of coral reef fishes, sharks, and rays are critically threatened by overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices, such as shark finning. Coral reef fishes and sharks are caught by nets that can damage both shallow reefs and the deep reefs used by sharks for nursery habitat. In addition, sharks are targeted solely for their fins, with large shark fins attracting market prices of US$70 apiece.

Since 2006, WCS has been successfully providing community groups and governments within the Aceh-Weh Seascape with training in fisheries management, as well as MPA design and implementation. These local organisations have been instrumental in the development of the first community-supported MPA on the east coast of Weh Island. Local and district governments, communities, and traditional fisher institutions have shown strong support for expanding the MPA network and associated fishery controls as conservation measures to reduce conflict among fishing communities and to reduce pressure on fish populations. This project will complement our work to develop the MPA network by building a local constituency for sustainable fishing practices and identifying alternative options to shark finning and other destructive fishing practices.

Aims and Objectives

This project will reduce unsustainable fishing practices, including shark finning and blast fishing in the Aceh-Weh Seascape of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Specifically, we will:

1. Incorporate traditional ecological knowledge and scientific information on ecology and human use of coral reefs and adjacent waters into management plans and regulations.
2. Build capacity and commitment of resource managers, government, community institutions and villages through training and technical support.
3. Raise awareness about importance of sustainable fishing practices through communication and outreach program targeted at schools, communities, businesses, and governments.
4. Identify appropriate sustainable fishing management options and alternative livelihood opportunities.