“Gazing upon the sea- source of life and the world’s future”

The sea is not merely a blue expanse separating land. It is a source of life—providing oxygen, food, absorbing carbon, regulating climate, and serving as the main artery of global trade, carrying more than 80% of the world’s logistics.

For Indonesia, where two-thirds of its territory is ocean—about 3.2 million km², with 17,508 islands and 81,000 km of coastline—the sea is its identity, heritage, and capital for development. The title Maritime Nation is not an exaggeration. Indonesia’s seas harbor rich biodiversity, hold vast renewable energy potential and minerals, and offer natural beauty that sustains marine tourism.

Yet, these vast potentials face mounting threats: overfishing, destructive fishing gear, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, coastal ecosystem degradation, plastic pollution, and climate change. Marine infrastructure and technology remain uneven, and human resources still require strengthening in both quantity and capacity.

CFI Indonesia and the Path Toward Sustainable Maritime Development

To address these challenges, the program GEF-6 CFI Indonesia: The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in Eastern Indonesia was launched through a partnership between the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and WWF US GEF Agency. The program applies the EAFM approach, an ecosystem-based fisheries management strategy balancing ecological, social, and economic aspects.

Over the past five years, CFI Indonesia has operated in Eastern Indonesia—particularly in FMAs (WPPNRI) 715, 717, and 718—through various strategies ranging from marine protected area management, quota-based Measured Fishing (PIT), to marine waste and pollution control. This program supports the MMAF’s Blue Economy agenda, SDG 14 targets, and the global 30x30 commitment (protecting 30% of marine areas by 2030), which Indonesia has expanded into its own 30x45 commitment (protecting 30% of marine areas by 2045).

CFI Indonesia has actively facilitated the establishment of three new marine protected areas and OECM (Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures) initiatives in Maluku. The program also supports quota setting for fisheries through science-based processes involving multiple stakeholders— National Scientific Commission on Stock Assessment, FMAs’ UPP, local governments, academics, and NGOs.

The act of signing the OECM recommendation map becomes more than a formality—it symbolizes trust, unity, and the collective will to safeguard the sea. Each signature tells a story of commitment, carrying the promise of protecting marine richness for the future.

Raja Ampat and the Call for a Clean Ocean

Raja Ampat, a world-class marine tourism destination, receives special attention. With its international recognition—ranked fourth in National Geographic's Top 5 Best Places in the World to Travel 2025—the region bears a significant responsibility to maintain clean and healthy seas.

CFI Indonesia has organised ocean and beach clean-ups in Raja Ampat, raising awareness among communities, fishers, and local government on the importance of reducing plastic waste in marine ecosystems.

Revitalising Sasi: Local Wisdom as Ecological Ethics

Amid global challenges, solutions emerge not from outside, but from local cultural roots. The people of Maluku and Papua have long embraced Sasi, a traditional wisdom system that regulates temporary bans on harvesting marine resources to preserve sustainability.

Sasi is more than tradition—it represents the ecological ethics of coastal societies. Values of awareness, compliance, and responsibility toward nature are deeply embedded in this practice. For this reason, CFI Indonesia promotes Sasi revitalization through Sasi Co-Management, a shared management system between indigenous communities and policymakers.

Fisherwomen gather with focus and enthusiasm, learning to turn their catch into diverse processed products rooted in the wisdom of Sasi. Through this training, tradition and innovation come together—empowering women to add value, strengthen household income, and ensure that coastal heritage continues to nourish future generations.

Through this approach, marine areas are governed under customary law, delineated participatorily, and reserved as OECM conservation zones. For example, in Eastern Seram Regency (Gorom and Manowaku Islands), 5,971 hectares of OECM potential have been mapped, while in Kei Besar Island, Southeast Maluku Regency, 348 hectares are managed in a similar way.

Recognizing MHAs

Strengthening Sasi is closely linked to the recognition of Customary Law Communities or Masyarakat Hukum Adat (MHA). MHA have the right to govern their territories, including land and sea resources, as well as to enforce customary law autonomously.

To date, two MHAs in Maluku have received facilitated recognition: Ohoirenan MHA in Southeast Maluku (through Regent Decree) and Kilitai-Kiliharu MHA in Eastern Seram (currently awaiting formal approval). Such recognition strengthens indigenous communities as frontline stewards of the sea.

Promoting Economic Self-Reliance through the “Sasi Label”

Ecological self-reliance must go hand in hand with economic self-reliance. CFI Indonesia developed the Sasi Label, a community-based fisheries business model that builds an integrated value chain.

The program engages both male and female fishers. The women are trained in seafood processing, product branding, cooperative building, and partnerships with modern retail outlets. As of August 2025, ten women's fisher groups, supported by CFI Indonesia, have generated over IDR 180 million in income, with their products now available in ten retail outlets across Maluku.

This model has been implemented in Southeast Maluku, Eastern Seram, and Wondama Bay, and is now being replicated in Ambon, Biak Numfor, Kaimana, and Raja Ampat.

Among neatly arranged shelves, a shop owner shares their story with pride. The camera captures more than an interview—it reveals the arrival of coastal community products, once crafted in small villages, now finding space in modern retail. Each package on display carries the journey of CFI Indonesia’s fishery groups, turning local dedication into goods that reach wider markets and touch more lives.

The Sea as Heritage, Not Merely a Resource

The EAFM concept reminds us that the sea is not merely a commodity to be exploited, but a natural capital to be safeguarded. True sustainability requires balancing ecological preservation, social justice, economic self-reliance, and gender equality.

By upholding local wisdom such as Sasi, recognising the rights of indigenous communities, and empowering fishing communities economically, Indonesia is charting a path toward ethical and sustainable maritime self-reliance. 

Now, it is time to view the sea as our shared home—not only for today’s generation, but for the future.

A sheet of paper rests between partners, but what truly matters is the promise it carries. As the MoU is signed, hands meet in trust and eyes look forward with hope—marking the beginning of a journey where small-scale fishery businesses step confidently into modern retail supply chains. More than a formal agreement, it is a story of collaboration, opening doors to new opportunities under the vision of a thriving Blue Economy.

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