By Irham Sani Saputra
The evolution of marine and fisheries sector governance in Indonesia over the last decade reflects a fundamental paradigm shift. It has moved from an exploitative approach to a sustainability-driven model centered on resource protection and human welfare. Amidst this dynamic, the role of civil society organizations has become crucial, serving as a bridge between grassroots realities in coastal areas and policymaking at the national and global levels. One representative journey in this context is that of Salam Kaoem Nelayan (SKN). This journey is an ongoing process of recording and documenting the conditions and situations unfolding across Indonesia’s coastal regions.
The origin of the Salam Kaoem Nelayan movement in 2017 was marked by the realization that the ocean must be understood not merely as an expanse of water, but as a complex living space. The Stage 1 Coastal Expedition, covering the area from Pelabuhan Ratu to Pangandaran, was an initial effort to document the socio-economic dynamics of traditional fishermen. Pelabuhan Ratu, which historically shares a deep connection with the Indian Ocean, was selected as the location for the Kidul (Southern) Project to capture the realities of fishermen on Java’s southern coast. These fishermen frequently face geographical challenges, such as large waves and limited market access. Focusing on the southern coast was highly strategic because the region is a national fisheries granary that often escapes the attention of policymakers, who tend to focus more heavily on northern waters.
Track Record of the Stage 1 Coastal Expedition & the Kidul Project
Through the first stage of the coastal expedition and the subsequent Kidul Project, Salam Kaoem Nelayan recorded critical findings that serve as a foundational understanding of what is happening along Indonesia’s coastlines. Key observations noted by SKN include:
FAD Conflicts (Rumpon) and Fish Stocks in Pelabuhan Ratu, West Java
Fishermen in Jayanti Village and the surrounding areas reported that the stock of largehead hairtail (ikan layur) has drastically decreased over recent years due to interception by Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) belonging to large vessels. These vessels, such as the KM Sunrise, operate in latitudes 8 or 9 heading toward Christmas Island, with catch capacities reaching 30 to 80 tons. The use of purse seines (trawls) that reach the seabed not only captures target species but also devastates other marine habitats.
| Fishing Gear Type | Operational Characteristics | Impact on Local Fishermen |
| Bolga/Net Vessels | Uses 300m long nets that reach the seabed; operates from 03:00 to 10:00. | Depletes small fish; causing fish prices to collapse if unloaded at local ports. |
| FADs (Rumpon) | Planted massively in straits; the cost of a single FAD reaches IDR 60 million. | “Intercepts” fish migrations before they reach traditional fishing grounds. |
| Tuna Lines/Kite Fishing | Uses artificial squid bait; vessels stay up to 10 days in the fishing ground. | Forces local fishermen to travel further (up to 353 km offshore) because coastal waters are emptied. |
Social and Demographic Shifts
The characteristics of coastal communities are currently undergoing a status transformation, shifting from independent producers to wage laborers. The social motivation to migrate is also driven by a desire for new experiences, escaping personal problems, or simply seeking social prestige—such as wanting to experience air travel.
The profession of a fisherman, once a proud aspiration, has become a dilemma. In the eyes of today’s coastal society, being a fisherman is viewed as manual labor with no bright future. Consequently, many coastal residents, especially the youth, decide to migrate to major cities or abroad in search of a better life.
Technological Marginalization
The modernization of fishing fleets through the use of large vessels—such as Bolga ships (or Sibolga) equipped with purse seines and giant FADs—has marginalized coastal fishermen. This technology can harvest tons of fish in a single operation, but it simultaneously depletes fish stocks in coastal areas, leaving traditional fishermen with limited gear unable to secure adequate catches. This technological inequality is not merely an equipment issue; it represents an injustice regarding access to marine resources.
Furthermore, this technological marginalization frequently causes coastal fishermen to operate at a loss, as their initial capital outweighs their income from the sea. The fishing industry and vessel owners frequently exploit this vulnerability by offering “partnerships,” under the guise of providing initial capital. Without realizing it, traditional fishermen become trapped in a cycle of debt manipulated by these industrial players.
The Threat of the Pelabuhan Ratu Coal Power Plant (PLTU)
On another front, the construction of a Coal-Fired Power Plant (PLTU) has sparked significant environmental conflicts. Fishermen report that wastewater and coal vessel activities are poisoning coral reefs, resulting in the deaths of marine life such as grouper (kerapu), lobster, and red snapper (kakap merah). Health impacts are also hitting the surrounding community, evidenced by a high prevalence of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI). According to 2023 data from the Simpenan Community Health Center (Puskesmas), an average of 275 people suffered from ARIs monthly, peaking at 397 patients in March 2023.
Broader health analyses estimate that emissions from the Pelabuhan Ratu PLTU contribute to 481 adult deaths annually due to continuous exposure to air pollutants. Government mitigation efforts through biomass co-firing schemes are deemed insufficient to curb carbon emissions and actually run the risk of prolonging the operational lifespan of this lethal facility.
Track Record of Salam Kaoem Nelayan in the Stage 2 Coastal Expedition
The continuation of SKN’s field efforts in 2018 through the Stage 2 Coastal Expedition, stretching from Cilacap to Yogyakarta, further strengthened the organization’s database. In Cilacap, the team expanded its focus beyond general capture fisheries to conduct specific research on shark habitats. This shark research provided critical insights into the interactions between traditional fishermen and endangered species, reflecting SKN’s early understanding that protecting fishermen is inseparable from marine biodiversity conservation. Without a healthy ecosystem, fishermen’s livelihoods will collapse; conversely, without involving fishermen in conservation, sustainable species protection is impossible.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Era (2019–2021)
The period between 2019 and 2021 was a transitional phase triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although physical mobility for coastal expeditions ground to a halt, this time was used as a momentum to strengthen internal structures and reformulate the organization’s vision. The restriction on fieldwork opened up space to reinforce theoretical studies and analyze the data collected in previous years. During this phase, it became clear that achieving systemic change required the organization to look beyond isolated local action.
A strategic leap occurred in 2022 when Salam Kaoem Nelayan participated in campaigns to “End Modern Slavery at Sea” and “Stop IUU Fishing.” This synergy facilitated the transfer of knowledge regarding advanced maritime investigation techniques, which would later prove invaluable in detecting increasingly covert IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing practices.
Investigation of Fishing Vessel Crews and IUU Fishing (2023)
The year 2023 marked the most intensive phase of SKN’s research and investigative activities. The focus shifted to the most vulnerable element of the fishing industry: the humans on board. The organization conducted in-depth research on Fishing Vessel Crews (AKP) across three categories: local, national, and migrant. These investigations revealed the bitter reality of working conditions aboard fishing vessels, where crews are routinely subjected to forced labor, wage theft, and inhumane living conditions.
Investigations into IUU Fishing practices that same year revealed that maritime law violations rarely happen in isolation. Vessels that steal fish or use banned gear almost always commit labor rights violations as well. This causal relationship is reinforced by global findings in the 2023 IUU Fishing Risk Index, which states that countries with high IUU fishing risks often exhibit weak oversight of flag state responsibilities, thereby increasing the risk of human trafficking and other maritime security threats.
The 2023 IUU Fishing Risk Index underscores that illegal fishing is driven by massive financial incentives, yet its impact destroys fish stock sustainability and undermines scientific research due to inaccurate catch data. For Indonesia, an archipelagic nation, vulnerability to IUU fishing is compounded by a vast maritime territory that is incredibly difficult to police. SKN’s 2023 investigative research provided supplementary grassroots data for this index, specifically mapping how illegal fishing directly devastates the social welfare of local fishing communities and endangers migrant crews.
Muara Gembong, West Java (2023)
Understanding the crisis of Indonesian fishermen requires looking at the broader external pressures forcing them to abandon traditional gear to become migrant laborers on foreign vessels. This phenomenon is blatantly visible in areas like Muara Gembong, Bekasi, where migration is an unavoidable outcome of multidimensional pressures.
Economically, traditional fishermen are squeezed between rising operational costs and falling market prices dictated by middlemen. In Muara Gembong, even though aquaculture and capture fisheries production in Bekasi Regency reached 65,000 tons in 2021, the poverty rate among coastal populations continued to rise. The urgent need to build homes, fund children’s education, or simply survive drives them to seek higher wages abroad, even at the risk of forced labor. The severe lack of decent domestic employment makes working on foreign vessels a dangerous, yet necessary, economic escape.
Environmental Crisis in Muara Gembong: Coastal Erosion and Existential Threats
The struggle of fishermen cannot be separated from the undeniable reality of the climate crisis. In Muara Gembong, coastal erosion (abrasion) has reached a catastrophic level, forcing thousands of residents to abandon their homes. Conservation efforts, such as the planting of thousands of mangrove seedlings by various groups in 2024-2025, are hoped to stem the rapid loss of land. This environmental degradation directly impacts food and economic security; milkfish (bandeng) farmers frequently suffer losses of up to IDR 15 million as tidal floods wash away their harvest.
Conclusion and Strategic Recommendations
This in-depth research demonstrates that the challenges facing Indonesian fishermen and vessel crews constitute a humanitarian crisis rooted in systemic injustice. The fragmentation of government authority, the unchecked dominance of large capital, and the disregard for environmental sustainability have created a vicious cycle of poverty and exploitation.
Based on the findings above, here are strategic recommendations to transform Indonesia’s fisheries governance:
- Oversight and Law Enforcement (Law No. 7 of 2016 on the Protection and Empowerment of Fishermen): Legal protection remains largely ineffective due to implementation hurdles and low legal literacy among fishermen. Strengthening policies and the government’s proactive role is essential to ensure traditional fishermen are genuinely protected under the law.
- Unification of Oversight and Law Enforcement: The government must abandon sectoral egos by integrating the vessel crew database between the Ministry of Transportation and the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Board (BP2MI). Enforcement of Law No. 18/2017 must heavily target illegal recruitment agencies operating on social media.
- Accelerating the Ratification of ILO Convention 188: The commitment to ratify by 2026 must be honored. This requires drafting a clear roadmap that includes the active participation of fisheries labor unions and civil society organizations.
- Protection of Traditional Fishing Grounds: Zoning policies must strictly ban the use of FADs and purse seines by large vessels in the straits that serve as primary fishing grounds for small-scale fishermen, ensuring national fish stocks can recover.
- Environmental Audits and a Just Energy Transition: Given the massive ecological and public health impacts of coastal coal power plants, the government must accelerate the early retirement of these facilities and pivot toward clean energy solutions that do not destroy marine ecosystems.
- Fisherman-Based Supply Chain Digitalization: Support initiatives to develop product traceability tools, allowing global consumers to verify and choose seafood that is free from forced labor and illegal fishing.
- Mitigating Coastal Climate Change Impacts: Infrastructure development must prioritize the economic upliftment of communities through social and environmental approaches, such as silvofishery, which is a vital foundation for coastal defense and resilience.
