Synergy Strengthens Sustainable Fisheries Management in Kofiau-Boo Waters

The Provincial Government of Southwest Papua, together with the Public Service Agency for Marine Protected Area Management (BLUD UPTD KKP) of Raja Ampat Archipelago, the community, fishers, and Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), enhanced collaborative sustainable fisheries management through the Dissemination of Crew-Operated Data Recording System (CODRS) activities in the Kofiau–Boo Marine Protected Area, Area V, Raja Ampat Archipelago, Southwest Papua Province.

The activity took place from May 21 to 22, 2026. It involved local government officials, marine protected area managers, village officials, community leaders, and fishermen.

CODRS, a catch data recording system developed by YKAN, involves fishers in directly documenting and recording catches in the field. This approach yields more accurate fisheries data and increases community engagement in marine resource management.

The collected data includes information on fish species, catch size, fishing locations, and trends in the utilization of fisheries resources in the Kofiau–Boo protected area. The program is implemented through a collaboration between BLUD UPTD KKP Raja Ampat, YKAN, and local fishers in the area.

Absalom Solossa, Head of the Provincial Marine and Fisheries Office of Southwest Papua, stated that sustainable marine resource management requires strong data and community involvement.

“Good fisheries management must be data-based and involve the community. CODRS results provide a clear picture of fish resources in Kofiau–Boo. The Provincial Government of Southwest Papua fully supports strengthening community-based fisheries management to ensure marine resource sustainability for future generations,” he said.

The Kofiau–Boo Marine Protected Area is one of the important areas in Raja Ampat, covering 148,979 hectares and consisting of 44 small islands. This area encompasses approximately 13,800 hectares of coral reef and 3,413 hectares of mangrove forest, providing habitats for numerous key species.

Kofiau–Boo waters are an important corridor for marine mammal migration in the Bird’s Head Seascape, playing a strategic role in maintaining the connectivity of marine ecosystems in Raja Ampat and surrounding areas.

The area is also significant for fisheries. Its waters are a livelihood source for local fishers and an essential habitat for various economically valuable pelagic and reef fish species.

Hasan Makasar, Head of BLUD UPTD KKP Raja Ampat, said that the dissemination activity is an important platform for building a common understanding between the community and protected area managers.

“Through this forum, the community not only receives information from data collection but also participates in jointly drafting management recommendations. This participatory approach is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of marine protected area management in Raja Ampat,” he said.

Encouraging Sustainable Fisheries Management

Data collected by YKAN and its partners show that the fisheries in the Kofiau-Boo area are dominated by small-scale fishermen who use simple boats and handlines. Most fishing activities occur in the nearshore sasi and traditional use subzones.

Data collected from 15 partner fishers since March 2025 indicates that Balal Village exhibits the most consistent and active fishing practices, while Deer Village experiences fluctuating activity levels. Meanwhile, fishing activity in Mikiran and Tolobi Villages is relatively lower. Peak fishing seasons occur in March–May and October–November.

During the data collection period, 24 families and 198 fish species were recorded. Catches were dominated by small pelagic fish such as bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) and mackerel scad (Decapterus macarellus), while by weight, skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) dominated.

Preliminary CODRS analysis indicates varying stock conditions across fish groups. Large pelagics such as tuna and skipjack are under fishing pressure, reef fish are under moderate pressure, while small pelagics remain relatively healthy.

Based on these findings, the community, traditional leaders, religious leaders, youth, and village and district governments agreed to strengthen community-based fisheries management in accordance with the zoning system of the Raja Ampat protected area.

The agreement prioritizes protecting local fishers’ fishing grounds and enforcing stricter regulations on fishers from outside Kofiau–Boo.

This community-based fisheries management agreement will be integrated into the Raja Ampat protected area management plan to enhance the sustainability of marine resources in Kofiau–Boo.

The community and stakeholders agreed on several recommendations for managing fisheries, including regulating hook sizes, banning destructive fishing gear such as bombs, cyanide, and compressors, reinstating sasi practices, and managing the activities of outside fishers in the Kofiau–Boo waters.

Yusuf Mayor, a local fisher, said that community involvement in data collection has helped them better understand the condition of their fish resources.

“Through this activity, we learned the importance of protecting the area so that our catches remain available for our children and grandchildren,” he said.

Glaudy Perdanahardja, YKAN’s Senior Sustainable Fisheries Manager, emphasized that sustainable fisheries management requires collaboration from all parties.

“CODRS is not only about data collection but also about building shared awareness to manage marine resources responsibly. The hope is that the data and agreements developed with the community can serve as a foundation for more sustainable fisheries management,” he concluded.