Governor Iqbal to Improve Marine and Fisheries Data in NTB

West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal has affirmed his commitment to improving data collection in the marine and fisheries sector within his jurisdiction. Iqbal noted that he frequently encounters inaccurate data regarding the number of vessels and fishermen in NTB. He explained that NTB falls within two Fisheries Management Areas (WPP), namely WPP 573 (Lombok Strait to the Flores Sea) and WPP 713 (the Indian Ocean south of Java to NTB, the Sawu Sea, and the southwestern waters of NTB). According to him, valid data is necessary to maintain the fisheries ecosystem. “The NTB government is also mandated not only to catch the contents but also to care for and ensure the sustainability of these two WPPs,” Iqbal stated while opening the first annual meeting of the Joint Fisheries Management Committee (KPBP) in Mataram on Tuesday (30/6/2026). Iqbal said that valid data is the key to producing appropriate policies. Nevertheless, he appreciated the performance of his staff at the NTB Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP), who continue to strive to present valid data. “I know that my colleagues at the Fisheries and Marine Service have been working tirelessly to feed data to us so that we can make evidence-based policy. We do not want to make policy based on instinct or based on feeling,” Iqbal added. He assessed that programmes or activities implemented without valid data would end in vain and merely waste the budget. Consequently, the impact expected by the community would not be achieved. On the other hand, Iqbal did not deny that collecting data in the marine and fisheries sector has its own level of difficulty. Unlike land, marine areas do not have clear boundaries, making the data collection process complicated. According to Iqbal, the burden of compiling this data cannot be borne solely by the government. He sees the need for collaboration involving various stakeholders, such as non-governmental organisations and academics. Yasmine Simbolon, Director of the Indonesian Marine and Fisheries Society (MDPI), revealed that NTB has unique tropical fisheries characteristics with diverse species interactions. According to her, the Joint Fisheries Management Committee (KPBP), which initially focused only on tuna commodity governance, is now beginning to shift its approach towards marine ecosystem-based management. Yasmine stressed the importance of cross-sector coordination to protect NTB’s abundant fisheries wealth. “Previously, the regular meetings initiated by the Regional Government through the NTB Provincial Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP) only focused on high-economic-value commodities, namely tuna, skipjack, and mackerel tuna,” Yasmine said.