Indonesia and Timor-Leste delegation, participants of the 5th ISLME RPSC meeting. ©FAO/Maria Hulupi

Despite challenges, Indonesia and Timor-Leste have made meaningful progress towards the Indonesian Seas Large Marine Ecosystem (ISLME) sustainability; and vowed to continue efforts, including bilateral cooperation to protect the wealth of marine and fisheries resources in the ISLME region.

This was the excerpt of the ISLME 5th Regional Project Steering Committee meeting (RPSC) in Bali on 4 December 2023, attended by representatives of FAO, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry (MALFF) of Timor-Leste. The ISLME region covers the waters of Indonesia and Timor-Leste , specifically the north coast area. The following are among the progress achieved under the three components of the GEF/FAO-supported ISLME project which started in 2018:

Component 1 on addressing transboundary threats to sustainability: the development of ISLME core scientific document: the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and the Strategic Action Programme (SAP). The TDA identified the primary environmental concerns (PECs) that threaten the region sustainability; while the SAP, which was developed in a participatory manner, details a series of clear initiatives, targets and timeframes for concrete path towards ISLME resources sustainability, including the various goods and services that the ISLME has to offer for long-term utilization.

Component 2 on strengthening national capacity for ecosystem approach to fisheries, aquaculture and marine habitat management (EAFM, EAA and MSP: improving the capacity of port assistants; EAFM assessment including fisheries management plan review and development; strengthening fisheries management council (FMC); enhancing access to reliable data. Policy supports included strengthening regulations through Harvest Strategies for mudcrab, snapper-grouper; commodity- and area-based fisheries management plan, organize one-door service to facilitate SSF obtain licence and promote their compliance. A stocktaking and a roadmap development of the Monitoring Control and Surveillance was carried out. The project has provided supports to SSF, fisher and farmer groups, community-based fisheries watch (pokmaswas), and empowerment to coastal women.

Component 3 on facilitating knowledge transfer through regional forums: sharing of expertise and knowledge in various formats and forums, including through IW:Learn, the GEF event and FAO repository, and the ISLME website development. The project also conducted exposure visits for Timor-Leste delegation to observe activities in several sites in Indonesia and organised workshops on bilateral transboundary marine issues with recommendations to inform planning and implementation.
At the meeting, both Indonesia and Timor-Leste look forward to the endorsement of the TDA and the SAP documents which will allow the project-initiated initiatives to continue after the project completion in January 2024.

Mr. Fery Sutyawan MMAF Coordinator of Inland Seas, Territorial and Archipelagic Waters explained that a series of thematic studies and stakeholder meetings were conducted to inform the TDA and the SAP formulation. He said MMAF is glad that the two documents are now available, and that the project activities have contributed to building national capacities for EAFM and EAA; and provided opportunities for Indonesia and Timor-Leste to recently work together to address transboundary issues.

Mr. Lourenco Dos Reis Amaral, National Director of Inspection for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said the ISLME project has provided lessons learned for Timor-Leste on large marine ecosystem (LME) and capacity building on how the north coast should be managed for the wellbeing of the community and the country. “We will make the best use of the SAP for future actions, not just for the ISLME part but also for Timor-Leste’s overall fisheries and marine resources,” he told the participants of the 5th RPSC forum.

FAO Representative for Indonesia and Timor-Leste Rajendra Aryal commended the bilateral cooperation under the ISLME project, saying that Timor-Leste is keen to make investment in its agriculture and fisheries. “There are a lot of good practices from Indonesia, which are good for bilateral sharing of expertise. So even though we are at the end of the project but hopefully this is not the end, but the beginning for a bigger collaboration,” he said.

Mr. Chavakat Manghat Muralidharan, ISLME Regional Coordinator appreciated Indonesia and Timor-Leste’s strong commitment to the TDA-SAP endorsement and implementation, saying that good bilateral cooperation with meaningful involvement of national stakeholders provides sound foundation to ensure progress towards sustainability. He thanked both Governments and FAO for the great support during the project.