Executive Summary: 2021 State of the Snapper Fishery

This is the third annual ‘State of the Fishery’ report of the Snapper Consortium covering 2019-2021, supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Packard Foundation) and Walton Family Foundation (WFF). The snapper fishery is one of three archetypal Indonesian fisheries supported by the Packard Foundation and WFF investments through the Snapper Consortium. Members include The Nature Conservancy-Nusantara Nature Conservation Foundation (TNC-YKAN); Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS); Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP); Ocean Conservancy; and the Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF), who joined in 2021. The Consortium works at the national level and in three Fisheries Management Areas (WPP) in southern and southwestern Indonesia (713, 718, and 573). Progress is measured using 18 indicators related to a Theory of Change and a joint work plan mutually agreed upon by Consortium members. The indicators fall under four categories:

Fishery Health

There are four indicators used to measure the health status of the snapper fishery, as described below, with the 2021 results for each:

Indicator A: Spawning potential ratio (SPR) represents the health status of three species of snapper and one species of grouper across three focal WPPs chosen by the Consortium to somewhat represent the fishery. Employing TNC-YKAN’s use of SPRs as one of four proxy indicators for estimating stock health, the 2021 SPRs (expressed as % SPR) are as follows for WPP 713, 718, and 573, respectively: Pristipomoides multidens – 11%, 17%, and 7%; Lutjanus malabaricus – 8%, 14%, and 5%; Aphaerus rutilans – 7%, no catch reported, and 2%; and Epinephelus areolatus – 10%, 18%, and 14%. Note that these figures are approximate and do not include error bars.

A stable SPR of at least 30% to 40% indicates a fair stock health status, but ideally, higher SPR targets are set for the longer-living species of snappers. With most stocks below the point of impaired recruitment, this fishery is overfished. Currently, there is still no effective management or restrictions on the fishery, so overfishing continues unabated.

Indicator B: Catch per unit effort (CPUE) was estimated for a subset of priority fishing gears in selected fishing grounds, showing considerable variability across the fishery. The data remains noisy; more years of data are needed to reveal trends.

Indicator C: As snapper fishing capacity is a biennial indicator; with no data collected in 2020, this indicator is currently based on 2019 and 2021 data. In 2021, the fishery is still dominated by small boats of less than 5GT (nano category), which numbered 8,167 units. In addition, there were 2,075 boats of 5-10GT (small), 1,007 boats of >10-30GT (medium), and another 287 boats of >30GT (large). There is considerable variability across the WPPs, with WPP 713 primarily dominated by boats in the ‘nano’ category while WPP 718 and 573 have a bigger proportion of larger boats. The data also shows a marked reduction in fishing capacity, with many large boats moving out of the fishery (large vertical drop line fleet), reducing by 19% overall, with a 14% reduction in the seasonal fleet. In comparison, the small and medium-sized boats have shifted their fishing pressure to WPPs 573 and 713, which shows an increase in fishing capacity by 145% and 63%, respectively.

Indicator D: Real-time availability and use of national- and WPP-level fish monitoring data to inform snapper fishery management and harvest strategy demonstrates the success by which TNC-YKAN’s Crew-Operated Data Recording System (CODRS) and the WCS snapper catch data are being utilized by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF). The TNC-YKAN CODRS and WCS databases are all accessible and interface directly into the MMAF’s Marine Fisheries Research Center (BRPL).

The Consortium collectively has one of the most comprehensive datasets on the Indonesian snapper fishery that can serve as a proxy for many of the country’s other fisheries. This level of transparency is a significant achievement as streamlined data is an important step towards sustainable fisheries for human consumption and environmental protection.

Institutions, Governance, Management, and Policy

There are nine indicators described below with the 2021 results for each:

Indicator E: Progress towards government adoption of a National Snapper Fishery Management Plan (RPP). The RPP has been publicly consulted and established by the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries Decree No. 123/2021. The RPP lays the groundwork for the Harvest Strategies (below), a good milestone of progress that all Consortium members supported.

Indicator F: Progress towards government adoption of a Snapper Harvest Strategy and a Grouper Harvest Strategy for each Priority WPP. The Snapper (3 species) and Grouper (4 species) Harvest Strategies have been consulted and finalized for WPP 713. Consortium members are now waiting for MMAF to release the Fisheries Decree and prioritize additional sites and species.

MMAF proposes a target reference point (TRP) of 40% and a limit reference point (LRP) of 20%. Even accounting for fluctuations in the dataset, it is clear that the vast majority of snapper and grouper stocks are significantly below the TRP, and most are much lower than the critical LRP (20%). Given the stock’s state and the need for more biologically resilient stocks, an LRP of 30% may be more applicable to most snapper species. There is a need for a management plan and a systematic scientific stock rebuilding program. In coordination with the Harvest Strategies, Indicator C highlights that co-management needs to happen simultaneously and in parallel at the national and local levels.

The extensive distribution of full-time and seasonal fishers in boats of <5 GT without licenses underscores the need for a national licensing policy.

Indicator G: Progress towards the integration of science and local knowledge into the WPP-level Harvest Strategies. Activities relevant to this indicator began last year. There was one national meeting in September 2021 on the National Coordination of Fisheries Management Area (FMA/WPP).

Indicator H: Resources allocated to compliance in WPP 713, 718, and 573. No compliance plan has been drafted, and therefore no budget is allocated.

Indicator K: Increase in resource allocation for Saleh Bay snapper management. Allocations from the Provincial Government decreased for managing the fishery in Saleh Bay due to reallocations for COVID-19. Tight budgets in 2021 are understandable, but resource allocation is a strong indicator of long-term success, and hopefully, 2022 budgets can rebound.

Indicator I: Policy white papers endorsed by stakeholders. Consortium members have drafted two white papers and presented these in various forums. Future white papers co-written and endorsed with the Indonesian Demersal Association (ADI) are likely to be more effective. The papers require careful coordination between managers and research scientists within MMAF. In 2021, these two white papers were adopted to support the Harvest Strategies Document for Snapper and Grouper in WPP 713.

Indicator J: WPP Council Consultative and Scientific Panels functional and achieving milestones. No regular activities occurred in 2021 because of COVID-19 restrictions and different interpretations within MMAF of the role of these panels. One meeting was conducted for WPP 713 on scientific review for snapper and grouper. The long delay in establishing the WPPs is beginning to question their role. There is a need to look for alternative approaches to management, such as the jurisdictional approach adopted by WCS (more details in the main text).

Snapper catch in NTB. © WCS

Indicator L: Improved local stakeholder management in snapper fishery management in WCS sites. The results show the progress of three organizations in Saleh Bay for 2021. However, for Alas Strait, three organizations are showing engagement in managing their fishery. There are no new organizations in Cempi Bay, Waworada Bay, and Sape Strait. These three areas showed the same level of engagement in 2020.

Indicator M: Provincial fisheries management groups demonstrating progress towards adaptive management in the five focal sites. The provincial task force tracked in 2019 remains at Stage 6 (well-functioning), and the Alas Strait task force is stable at Stage 2 (fishery management plan adopted by Provincial Government). Group members have, on the whole, shifted to virtual engagements but are slowly returning to formal meetings in 2022.

Industry Initiatives

There are four indicators for this aspect of the snapper work as described below, with the 2021 results for each:

Indicator N: ADI adopting a business plan and actively complying with a code of conduct. ADI has made significant progress in 2021. They have finalized their business plan and identified opportunities to create revenue to pay for the Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) (USD 0.01 per kg). The group has also offered a second tier to non-US exporter processors (over 200 companies) to pay a smaller fee to become part of the association. ADI has recently adopted a code of conduct and compliance system for all members.

Indicator O: Positive performance achieved for the two comprehensive Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs). The two comprehensive FIPs showed similar status as 2020. This indicator originally covered four basic FIPs and the Comprehensive ADI FIP, and three basic FIPs consolidated into the Comprehensive ADI FIP. The remaining basic FIP, the Deepwater Groundfish Dropline Trap and Gillnet Comprehensive FIP led by TNC- YKAN, rated “B” for progress at FisheryProgress.org, and remained at 54% in its green score (pass with no condition) on Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) benchmarks. However, there was a 3-percenatge point decrease in its yellow score (pass with conditions) from 14% last year to 11% this year and its red score (fail) increased from 32% to 36%. Meanwhile, the Comprehensive ADI FIP has received a FisheryProgress.org rating of “C” (Some Recent Progress) and MSC benchmark scores of 54% green, 14% yellow, and 32% red.

Indicator P: Mapping of snapper supply chains. The supply chain mapping work conducted by TNC-YKAN has tracked 78% of the supply of snapper to processing / local markets. It is clear that the majority (>70%) of the snapper market is local and Asian.

Indicator Q: Effective application of traceability by FIP member companies. Three companies have progressed well on their traceability benchmarks, except for ensuring that the fish they buy is not coming from illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) sources. As these companies do not own a fleet, they rely on fish supply from aggregators and traders, which is rarely traceable to the boat, fleet, or fish catch location. There is currently no policy in Indonesia that requires traceability, so it is improbable that this benchmark is achievable.

Communications

There is one indicator for this aspect of the snapper work:

Indicator R: Indonesian media reference to sustainable snapper fisheries. The number of articles on the snapper fishery has decreased to 30%, from 40 articles in 2019 to 30 in 2021. But this number is higher compared to the 2020 data (17 articles in 2020 to 30 articles in 2021). The role of media, may it be print, broadcast, or internet, is crucial in educating and enlightening the public about the Consortium’s work. There is a need for the Consortium to come up with a more strategic and aggressive communications process to promote awareness of the public’s understanding regarding the benefits, challenges, trends, and policy actions needed to further build on the snapper work.

Media articles referencing best practices in snapper fishery management

Despite COVID-19 cutting travel and interactions between the Consortium partners, government staff, and communities for the majority of last year, progress on elements of the snapper Consortium’s work in 2021 has been sound. Particularly notable is the maintenance and improvement of the institutional status of the WCS provincial sites of Saleh Bay, Waworada Bay, Alas Strait, Sape Strait, Cempi Bay, and the Provincial Government sustaining a reduced budget for the management of the fishery in Saleh Bay.

The Consortium’s ability to collect data in 2021 when so many other groups were unable to do so is impressive.

Adopting the CODRS dataset and WCS is a significant milestone in this work. These datasets provide some of the best qualitative and quantitative data on multi-species/multi-gear demersal fisheries in Indonesia, if not the whole region. Beyond just contributing to the snapper fishery, they can potentially be used as proxy data to measure the health of many other fisheries in Indonesia. The data sets are now accessible to the Ministry in a standardized format, something that few, if any, other fisheries can state. The only nuance is that they tell a story of significant overfishing across the country and little or no further productivity or economic upside for demersal fisheries.

The establishment of the WPP Management Councils remains unclear, and there remains no critical interface between stakeholders, scientists, and managers. The Central Government is currently allocating no resources for the WPP establishment. Without the WPP structure in place, it remains unclear how the provinces can take an active role in fishery management of straggling stocks like snapper that criss-cross provincial (up to 12 nm) and WPP boundaries.

In summary, most work challenges emanate from the stock’s declining health plus the lack of harvest strategies with clear targets and predetermined management strategies. There is a dire need to adopt the CODRS results and integrate them into management interventions. The longer the delay on this undertaking, the more challenging and more stringent the management interventions required. Another significant concern will be that the Ministry’s fish stock researchers are likely to move from the Research Center for Capture Fisheries (Pusat Riset Perikanan, Puriskan) within MMAF to the National Research and Innovation Agency (Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, BRIN). The shift to BRIN means that the National Commission on Fish Resource Assessment (Komnas Kajiskan) needs to play an even more pivotal role in integrating stock status into the Ministry’s new planned quota program that aims to bring foreign investments into the country’s fisheries.