Looking Ahead in 2022: Stock Monitoring, Fisheries Management & Industry Initiatives

Stock Monitoring

2021 saw the fishing capacity (effort) in the snapper fishery reduced by 19% overall, with a 14% reduction in the seasonal fleet. The majority of this reduction is attributed to the decrease in the larger Vertical Drop Line boats (though they have probably moved to another more lucrative fishery rather than stopping fishing altogether). The not-so-good news is that the remaining fleet (small and medium-sized boats) has moved to the previously healthy WPPs—573 and 713—and fishing effort on WPP 573 has increased 145% and WPP713 by 63%.

The health of snapper stocks from coastal areas to offshore areas continues to decline. The average health of the species tracked for WPP 713 is 9% SPR, WPP 718 is 16% SPR, and WPP 573 is 4% SPR. The targeting of A. Brevis in 2020 (for their lucrative swim bladders) achieved 2-8 times average red snapper market prices have decimated the stock to the point where fishers are now shifting to other target species. All species tracked are significantly below the proposed lower limit (20% SPR) for the harvest strategy. Without urgent management interventions, this trend is likely to continue.

The CODRS data remains the most comprehensive dataset on demersal fisheries in Indonesia, if not the Asia-Pacific region, and contains enormous amounts of information points that track the health of a diverse set of fisheries. The CODRS system has highlighted that fishers can track their fishing activities, location, and species caught (photograph) with a small initial investment in training, incentives, and integration into the vessel workflow. This system provides an opportunity to track and capture data and management for the larger > 10 GT boats of the fleet targeting snapper. This data provides the basis for a series of scientific journal publications for all Consortium partners. WCS has also designed a community-based monitoring tool for their fisheries, collected on the ground successfully and fed directly into the Ministry’s data system and the provincial fisheries plans in their focal geographies. All these data sets are more than sufficient to document the current size composition of the stocks and the extent of fishing grounds. TNC/YKAN has transitioned all their data over to the MMAF BRPL unit (fisheries research), and this data is available in the WPPNRI-based Fisheries Management Information Center LPP-WPP dashboard for public transparency and monitoring.

With the creation of BRIN, the National Research and Innovation Agency Republic of Indonesia, there is some anticipation that the MMAF BRPL staff will join the new Ministry leaving the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries with a broader remit. Opportunities to review the system and look for integration points, especially with the ongoing e-logbook system designed in partnership with Consortium members, should be pursued. The use of fuel subsidies for vessels collecting data (and removing subsidies for those not submitting data) provides a potential incentive for mainstreaming the use of these e-logbooks. The question remains on how to streamline the data collection system and the costs to continue with a leaner, more cost-effective design that can be sustained and independent of philanthropic support.

The potential use of the CODRS data as a proxy measure of the health of all demersal fisheries in Indonesia and to provide a unique bird’s-eye view across all WPPs should be submitted for consideration by the newly inaugurated Indonesian Stock Assessment Forum, National Commission on Fish Resource Assessment (Komnas Kajiskan). The likely loss of the critical MMAF fisheries researchers moving to the new Research Department, BRIN, means that the Komnas Kajiskan (stock assessment council) will play an even more significant role in ensuring stock status integrated into the Ministry’s new planned quota program.

The Harvest Strategy implementation relies on access to real-time data from CODRS during the lifespan of the management system. Should any modifications to data collection be considered, corresponding changes should be incorporated in the Harvest Strategy. The Snapper Consortium partners have delivered on their remit to provide up-to-date information on the resource state. What is important now is to keep that data flowing and lead to management interventions and the appropriate policies.

Fish market in East Java

Fisheries Management

As noted in the previous section, the state of resources of Indonesia’s snapper fisheries health is dire, directly correlating to management. As highlighted in this report, securing an articulated harvest strategy is slow, with only interim harvest strategies produced for WPP 713 for four grouper species and three snapper species from the hundreds of fish. These two harvest strategies remain “interim” and do not have a science-based strategy for rebuilding the stocks (there is no target reference point (SPR) or lower reference point for SPR outlines in the harvest strategies). The remaining 10 WPPs have no harvest strategies. As noted earlier, snappers are a long-living species that require much more precautionary management than other species like the blue swimming crab, which proposes a lower limit of SPR at 20%. Given the stock state and the need for more biologically resilient stocks, an LRP of 30% may be more applicable to most snapper species. Snapper fisheries have various management options from several management strategy evaluation tools. Options include seasonal closures, size limits, larger mesh nets, and hooks. Some of these have been tested out in the WCS focal sites and explored by SFP and TNC/ YKAN. Ideally, these experiences can lead to pragmatic management options that MMAF can adopt for the > 30 GT fleet and engagement with Provincial Governments for the < 30 GT fleet fishing. Economic incentives and disincentives targeted at fishers (e.g., fuel subsidies) or within the market (eco-labels) also deserve exploring. Although the Poseidon model is an innovative model for tracking different management scenarios, it seems to be under-utilized as a model for scenario setting and supporting the Ministry’s management options and policy directions. Snapper needs more than a management plan, it needs a systematic, scientific, stock-rebuilding program that reduces fishing capacity.

The work of all the Consortium partners relies on an organizational body to serve as the critical interface between stakeholders, scientists, provincial governments, and fishers. As shown in Indicator G, the WPP Councils are not functioning, and no resources are available for compliance (Indicator H). Without a working model, it still remains unclear whether the WPP is appropriate for management decisions. Building on the lessons learned from WCS, it appears that the provincial-led management systems are much more appropriate for management. Once management is in place, it can be scaled to WPP-level management.

Meanwhile, the grouper and snapper Harvest Strategies have been slow to adopt at the national level for each WPP (Indicator F). Harvest strategies require itemized strategies with indicators that change the management policies accordingly when reached. With the case of low levels of SPR (as shown in Indicator A), the fishery needs to have identified management intervention. Although there is one Harvest Strategy (WPP 713), it does not have reference points, specific objectives, and does not identify the conditions for management that need to be put in place when the fishery reaches the lower limit (which has been reached for all the snapper fisheries already based on Indicator A). The MSC pre-assessments conducted on several snappers highlighted the lack of a clear policy framework.

One successful management intervention that achieves impact remains the WCS provincial work in Saleh Bay and Alas Strait that has engaged both communities and the Provincial Government to implement their snapper management plans. Sadly, nearshore stocks are in poor health, and recovery time is needed, but with MPAs and management restrictions in place, this stands out as one of the few successful management interventions. The experience in designing a citizen science system complementary to the CODRS system offers potential replication opportunities to other fisheries.

Industry Initiatives

With the recovery of the disrupted supply chains under COvID-19, industry-led ADI has formed, registered, and recently hired full-time staff to support their work. ADI continues to grow its leadership, conducting research and engaging with the Government. As part of their recently drafted business plan, the ADI members have agreed on a volume-based 0.01 USD fee on all exports to the USA to cover their FIP implementation costs. ADI also identified a second membership tier that engages the 200 plus demersal processors who do not export to the USA (mainly China / SE Asia).

The TNC/YKAN FIP has impressively achieved a benchmark of six FIP companies reducing sourcing of juveniles to <5% in compliance with the FIP. For its part, ADI has successfully merged its three “basic” FIPS into one comprehensive FIP, which is already making progress (as highlighted under Indicator O). Some initial discussions have taken place on the possibility of combining the TNC/YKAN FIP and the ADI FIP; the benefits of just one integrated and coordinated FIP is an opportunity to consider.

In 2021 there has also been a shift away from the FIP, focusing entirely on the environmental aspects of fisheries management (status of target stocks, ecosystem impacts, and management). WCS now brings two other pillars, the financial and social pillars, into their FIP framework. The social framework reviews the protection of human rights, dignity, and access to resources, ensures equality and equitable opportunity to benefit, and improves food, nutrition, and livelihood security. The financial framework assesses organization capacity, operational capacity, and current market position. There is a set of components, performance indicators, and scoring guideposts for each principle.

The TNC/YKAN FIP has also spent considerable time documenting and assessing the impact of the use of plastics (gear and single-use plastic bags) in the fishery. On larger boats, fish are commonly placed inside single-use plastic bags before putting into the hold for freezing; these bags are then discarded (usually into the sea) at the landing sites. The use of fish aggregation devices (FADs) and nets also involves plastics. TNC/YKAN research suggests that the snapper fishery contributes less than 0.2% of plastics used in Indonesia; however, Indonesia is one of the top ocean plastics polluters. A plastics mitigation plan is now in place under the TNC/YKAN FIP, mitigating this problem as a pre-cursor for potential MSC certification. Having received recognition by MMAF, ADI has considerable potential to play a leading role in supporting the management of the Indonesian snapper fishery. For example, white papers on management opportunities adoption of the CODRS system co-written and endorsed to MMAF by the consortium in partnership with ADI are likely to receive more government (and industry) attention when coordinated between managers and research scientists within MMAF. Sadly, the role of the international markets in supporting the sustainability work remains elusive, partly due to the majority of the market being in Asia, which prioritizes quality and price for the most part. However, there has been some success in reducing some purchases of more under-sized snapper, which is working under the FIP. The Ministry may like to pursue minimum size legislation, allowing exporters to push back on the market demand for plate-size snapper.

Juvenile snapper catch

Trip Report SNAPPER USAID-Packard, June 2019