The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) continues to promote the implementation of one of its flagship programs, Measured Fishing (PIT). The PIT program is believed to help conserve and maintain the balance of marine ecosystems and fish resources through the implementation of fishing quotas.

PSDI Director Syahril Abd. Raup, ST, M.Si., opened the workshop on “Planning the Guidelines for Fish Stock Assessment”, accompanied by Prof. Dr. Indra Jaya, Chair of Komnas KAJISKAN, and Dr. Fayakun Satria, a member of BRIN's Komnas KAJISKAN, at the Grand Pajajaran Hotel, Bogor (29/04/2025).

The PSDI Directorate organized this meeting to strengthen the technical guidelines (juknis) for fish stock assessment, which will form the basis for determining national measured fishing quotas. The discussion included updating protocols, building a data infrastructure, and applying new technologies to track fish populations and vessel movements.

Syahril Abd. Raup explained that his directorate coordinates stock assessment research results, as this responsibility does not fall under the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries. Therefore, the support from researchers, NGOs, KKP partners, and financial backing is needed. PSDI also supports the Komnas KAJISKAN Secretariat by facilitating meetings and providing scientific service providers (SSPs) for fisheries resources stock assessments.

“To facilitate Komnas KAJISKAN’s tasks, PSDI has provided office space for its secretariat,” said Raup. In addition, PSDI will facilitate various supporting stock assessment activities from different sources, including the CFI Indonesia GEF 6 program, which facilitates selected PIT quota development.

Regarding data collection and stock assessment, Raup emphasized the need for standard operating procedures (SOPs) or guidelines covering data collection, verification, processing, and analytical models. He also mentioned plans to strengthen the LPPs of WPPNRI, including the integration of Stock Assessment Protocols focused on key species relevant to quota setting. “Due to budget constraints, all funding support will be focused on activities within the WPP to ensure the results concretely support quota determination,” he stressed.

He hoped that Komnas KAJISKAN will be present in every LPP in WPPNRI to assist with data collection and compilation. He particularly urged the use of standardized data formats to facilitate processing at the central level, as data collection from provinces has been hampered by formats that are not in accordance with KKP’s standards.

The hybrid workshop on “Planning the Guidelines for Fish Stock Assessment” was attended by members of Komnas KAJISKAN, its Secretariat, the Directorate of Species and Genetic Conservation at KKP, and the CFI Indonesia PMU at the Grand Pajajaran Hotel, Bogor (29/04/2025).

Prof. Dr. Indra Jaya, Chair of Komnas KAJISKAN, stated that the institution last released fish stock data in 2022, and such data should be updated every three years. The next update is scheduled for 2025, with snapper and grouper being the priorities.

“In addition to updating stock data, we also need to update stock assessment methods. With the current advancement in science, we are honestly lagging. I agree that we need to align key species and appropriate methodologies for each WPP, starting with the development of protocol foundations,” said Indra.

In agreement, Prof. La Sara stated that ideally, each of the 11 WPPs should have a model pilot area, including key species as focus targets. This model can serve as a reference for other regions to make the data collection and processing process more structured.

Sarmintohadi, S.Pi., M.Si., Director of Species and Genetic Conservation, shared his experience managing protected fish species. He explained that since 2021, the quota system for protected species has been applied on a per-species basis. While stock assessment for capture fisheries relies on Komnas KAJISKAN data, the scientific basis for protected species quotas recommendation comes from BRIN recommendations. He suggested the meeting also cover both the mechanisms and formulas for quota setting.

Dr. Fayakun Satria, a Komnas KAJISKAN member from BRIN, noted that synergy between the Directorate of Species and Genetic Conservation and DJPT is a new but necessary step for effective fisheries management. On the technical side, Komnas KAJISKAN members may face challenges due to their supervisory role. “Therefore, it is necessary to form a sub-working group that better understands the technical aspects. This group consists of industry, NGOs and donors who have been clustered according to their fields,” Fayakun proposed.

He added that not all species listed under science and technology can be assessed using stock assessment methods. Thus, other approaches with the support of appropriate alternative instruments are needed. At the initial stage, the focus can be on three WPPs, namely WPP 715, 717, and 718.