INDONESIA, Asmats, West Papua - July 2003
Outboard motorboats for patrol and enforcement of community fishing grounds
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The remote Asmat region is renowned for its ancient societies, and extensive mangrove and coastal wetlands. Recently, a consensus agreement was reached between some of the coastal Asmat villages and a large Indonesian commercial fishing company to ban fishing in the Asmat traditional fishing grounds (extending approximately 12 miles outward from the coast). Due to lack of enforcement, illegal fishing boats continue to raid near-shore waters throughout the Asmat coast. Seacology is providing four outboard motorboats for patrol and enforcement of the near-shore fishing area. The Indo-Pacific Conservation Alliance (IPCA), who have been working with Asmat villages since 1998, will help coordinate the villages with training to monitor outside fishing activities and enforce prior agreements with fishing companies.
UPDATE July 2004 - Community meetings regarding the enforcement of Asmat waters have taken place and several agreements have been established for the protection of the marine area. In spite of the remote location of the Asmats and the unexpected need for careful coordination of equipment transportation, the outboard motors are scheduled to be delivered this summer.
UPDATE January 2005 - Outboard motors were delivered to each of the four Asmat community groups. Each group built and donated longboats to go with the motors and they are being used to both monitor outside fishing activities and facilitate communication among the four groups.
UPDATE June 2007 - Engines for patrol boats were distributed in 2005. Activities up to the end of 2006 were difficult due to a series of political changes in the area and changes in key project personnel. As a result, IPCA could not distribute the portion of Seacology funds allocated for village transportation costs to patrol their protected areas. In early 2007 IPCA proposed redirecting the unused portion of the Seacology grant to cover transportation costs for a mapping project designed to help villages apply to have their protected areas formally recognized by the government under new laws passed in 2006. IPCA is in the process of securing the rest of the needed funding for this mapping project.
