Located at the heart of the Coral Triangle (an area that is recognized as the global center of marine biodiversity), Indonesia’s rich marine resources play a crucial role in the world’s fisheries. Indonesia’s marine food products have been feeding both the international and domestic markets for many years. However as human population grows, our demand for marine fish, other products goods and services have surpassed the natural supply and sustainable use. Presently, Indonesia’s fisheries are over taxed and in decline in some areas and thus the time to address management and sustainability issues is now.
Some small-scale fishers testify that they need to travel farther than they used to only a few years ago and are suffering from the declining fish stocks. Scientific surveys confirm that coral reef habitats are being damaged and overfished in areas that lack good fisheries management. Thus, to minimize having our marine and coastal ecosystems at increasing risk of decline, the USAID Sustainable Ecosystems Advanced (USAID SEA) Project is working to strengthen the Indonesia fisheries management using ecosystems-based approach for sustainable fisheries and coastal resources.