Indonesia has many instructive lessons regarding community-based\noctopus management.<\/p>\n
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has involved three Indonesian\nexperts in an international workshop on sustainable octopus fishery\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
Programme Director MSC Indonesia Hirmen Syofyanto said in a statement\nreceived in Bogor, West Java, on Friday, that the workshop, held in\nM\u00e1laga, Spain, from 12 to 14 May 2026, was organised jointly with the\nOceanographic Center of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography\/Instituto\nEspa\u00f1ol de Oceanograf\u00eda (IEO-CSIC). It brought together researchers,\ngovernment agencies, fishery managers, NGOs and industry players from\nvarious countries to discuss best practices in octopus fishery\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
The activity, funded by the Ocean Stewardship Fund, addressed a range\nof challenges in managing octopus as a short-lived species, from stock\nassessment, monitoring systems, governance models to the development of\na Harvest Strategy.<\/p>\n
Three Indonesian representatives involved were Soraya Gigantika, a\nlecturer at Universitas Mataram and Chair of the Scientific Forum on\nSustainable Fisheries Management for the Province of West Nusa Tenggara;\nDuranta D. Kembaren, researcher at the National Research and Innovation\nAgency (BRIN); and NGO practitioner and MSC Technical Consultant Faridz\nFachri.<\/p>\n
Hirmen said the involvement of Indonesian experts demonstrates a\nsustained commitment to strengthening octopus fishery management\nscientifically and collaboratively.<\/p>\n
\u201cOctopus fisheries are an important sector for small-scale fishers in\nIndonesia. The presence of Indonesian experts at this global forum shows\nthat Indonesia\u2019s experiences and lessons are relevant to be shared at\nthe international level,\u201d said Hirmen.<\/p>\n
He hopes that cross-country collaboration will strengthen the\ncapacity for sustainable, data-based octopus fishery management that\ninvolves communities.<\/p>\n
According to MSC, Indonesia was one of the countries drawing\nattention at the forum because it has previously undertaken various\noctopus fishery improvement programmes or Fisheries Improvement\nProjects.<\/p>\n
A range of community-based octopus management initiatives, governance\nstrengthening, and the preparation of Octopus Fishery Management Plans\nhave been implemented in several parts of Indonesia to promote\nsustainability of small-scale fisheries.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, octopus fishery management in Indonesia still faces\nseveral challenges, including limited scientific data on octopus stocks,\nsuboptimal catch data collection systems, and insufficient rules on\nlegal catch size.<\/p>\n
In the draft National Octopus Fishery Management Plan, the government\nand stakeholders identified indications of octopus stock depletion,\nparticularly for the species Octopus cyanea in several Fisheries\nManagement Areas of the Republic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Additionally, limited scientific information on habitat, life cycles,\nand catch data are seen as challenges that need to be addressed promptly\nto make octopus fishery management more effective and sustainable.<\/p>\n
BRIN researcher Duranta D. Kembaren said the workshop represented a\ncrucial opportunity to connect Indonesia\u2019s local experiences with\ninternational practices already implemented in various countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndonesia has many instructive lessons regarding community-based\noctopus management. On the other hand, we can also learn about stock\nassessment, monitoring and governance approaches from other countries\nthat can be adapted to the small-scale fishing context in Indonesia,\u201d\nDuranta said.<\/p>\n
Through the workshop, participants are expected to draft a joint\nguidance document to support decision-making in octopus fishery\nmanagement on a global scale.<\/p>\n
For Indonesia, the outcomes and learnings from the international\nforum are hoped to strengthen policies and implementation of octopus\nfishery management that are more adaptive, transparent and sustainable\nin the future.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/msc-engages-indonesian-experts-to-discuss-sustainable-octopus-management-1779537402", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }