4 March, Menarbu - Yohanis Ayamiseba, 56, is a fisherman from the Roon tribe in Menarbu Village, Wondama Bay, Indonesia. The people of Menarbu depend entirely on the sea for their livelihoods, because in their area it is not possible to practice agriculture.

On his boat equipped with an outboard motor, Mr Ayamiseba goes out fishing using fishing lines, a snorkel and a kalawai (spear). Part of his catch is for food, and the rest he sells in the village to meet his family's daily needs for soap, sugar, coffee and tea.

A few years ago, Mr Ayamiseba noticed that the condition of the sea and of the fish was deteriorating day by day. He and the people of Menarbu sat together to talk about their future: could the fishermen continue fishing? What about their children and grandchildren?

In 2018, they agreed to introduce Sasi, an Indigenous community-based coastal resource management system, in their village. He says fish stocks have thrived and incomes have risen since the community decided to adopt this method, which protects the coastal marine ecosystem through a number of rules, including when different species of fish can be harvested.

"Our area is protected because we think about the future of our children and our grandchildren," said Mr Ayamiseba, who serves as Head of the Sasi Management Group (Kadup) of Menarbu.

"Hopefully, our children and grandchildren will not only hear stories and see pictures, but will be able to touch, see and feel the experience (of fishing) and to live better, in harmony with the sea," he added.

Mr Ayamiseba believes the fishing conditions in Menarbu are now very good, and maybe even improving, because they are still following the Sasi rules.

The challenge now lies in finding market outlets for their sustainably fished products: the market in the next biggest village, Wasior, is very far and gasoline is expensive, he said.

About CFI Indonesia

Yohanis is a beneficiary of the Coastal Fisheries Initiative, a global partnership which is implemented in Indonesia by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and the WWF.