Fishermen’s Data Becomes the Basis for Community-Based Fisheries Management Partnership in Raja Ampat

The results of one year of fisheries data collection using the Crew Operated Data Recording System (CODRS) in the Raja Ampat Marine Protected Area (MPA) Area V Kofiau-Boo have officially become the main foundation for fisheries management and the development of community-based partnerships in the region.

This conclusion emerged during the dissemination of CODRS results and the evaluation of the Cooperation Agreement (PKS) between the Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) and the Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD UPTD) of the Raja Ampat MPA, held in Waisai, Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua, on 9–10 June 2026.

Throughout the past year, the CODRS method has directly involved fishermen in recording their catches, fish sizes, fishing locations, and other fishing activities. The collected information was then analysed to provide a comprehensive picture of the fisheries conditions in Kofiau-Boo. These analyses serve as the basis for developing adaptive and evidence-based management recommendations while respecting the local community’s traditional knowledge.

Through village-level dissemination sessions, this data was discussed with village governments, traditional leaders, women’s groups, fisher groups, district governments, the BLUD, and the local government. This multi-stakeholder collaboration led to the establishment of commitments, which were formalised in the Fisheries Management Recommendation Agreement, as a joint effort to maintain the sustainability of marine resources in the protected area.

Absalom Solossa, Head of the Southwest Papua Provincial Marine and Fisheries Department, emphasised that a data-driven approach combined with active community participation is the key to sustainable fisheries management.

“Effective fisheries management must be built on real conditions in the field. CODRS provides the accurate information needed for decision-making, while community involvement ensures that these decisions can be implemented and jointly monitored responsibly,” said Absalom.

The meeting also agreed to immediately establish and strengthen fisher groups as the primary vehicle for community-based fisheries management in Kofiau-Boo. These groups will act as strategic partners in fisheries data collection, implementing village-level agreements, and enforcing resource monitoring together with the Community Monitoring Groups (Pokmaswas).

Hasan Makasar, the Head of the Raja Ampat MPA BLUD UPTD, expressed his unwavering commitment to empowering communities through more formal and sustainable partnership schemes.

“In the future, we want to ensure that the community is not just a beneficiary but also the main actor or partner in managing the protected area. Therefore, the BLUD fully supports the strengthening of fisher groups and sasi groups as part of the community-based management system,” said Hasan.

This commitment is a key part of extending the cooperation between BLUD and YKAN for the 2026–2028 period. During the PKS evaluation, both parties agreed to continue collecting CODRS data in Kofiau-Boo for another year using a new approach that positions fishing groups as both beneficiaries and implementers. This step is expected to strengthen local institutions and ensure program sustainability. Additionally, CODRS implementation is planned to expand to the Regional Marine Conservation Area I in the Ayau-Asia Islands.

YKAN Promotes Data-Driven and Partnership-Based Fisheries Management

Since establishing the partnership in 2024, YKAN has consistently supported the BLUD UPTD Raja Ampat MPA in implementing CODRS as a participatory fisheries data collection tool. This method has proven effective in helping area managers obtain detailed information on catch trends and fishery resource utilisation while increasing community ownership in marine conservation.

Glaudy Perdanahardja, the Senior Manager of Sustainable Fisheries Management at YKAN, added that the CODRS program's core value lies not only in the availability of data but also in facilitating constructive dialogue between the community and area managers.

“Data collected by fishermen themselves has successfully served as a bridge for dialogue to build joint agreements in Kofiau-Boo. The critical next step is to translate these agreements into strong formal partnerships so that fisheries resource utilisation can proceed sustainably,” said Glaudy.

Moving forward, the expanded collaboration between BLUD and YKAN will cover a broader scope, including strengthening sasi and fisher group institutions, enhancing area monitoring capacity, boosting local conservation-based economies, and developing local champions to raise community awareness of conservation and climate change issues.

All program implementations will be monitored and evaluated periodically using fisheries data indicators, the development of community group institutions, and the effectiveness of commitment implementation to continuously improve the community-based fisheries management model in Raja Ampat.

About CODRS

CODRS (Crew Operated Data Recording System) is a participatory fisheries data-collection method that directly involves fishers in documenting their catches, fish sizes, fishing locations, and activities while at sea. The data collected from fishers are analyzed to provide insights into the condition of fishery resources and their utilization patterns. This approach enables more adaptive, transparent, and data-driven fisheries management, while also strengthening community involvement in decision-making for sustainable marine resource management.