Sustainable octopus fishing with the communities of Bulutui Village and Gangga Satu Village / Masyarakat nelayan gurita Desa Bulutui dan Desa Gangga Satu (Indonesia)

 

 

The communities/organization and local perspectives on conservation and stewardship

 

In Bulutui and Gangga Satu Villages (West Likupang District, North Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi Province), there are small fishing communities that specialize in catching octopus. The number of octopus fishermen in the two villages currently is around 280 people. These fishermen sell their octopus to collectors in the village, of which there are currently a total of 5 collectors in the two villages. These fishermen catch octopus in the waters around their village. There are about 140 octopus fishing locations that have been recorded, which are scattered in the waters of West Likupang.

For local fishing communities, a sustainable land and sea environment means a guarantee for their survival. A sustainable and sustainably utilized environment means abundant fish, sufficient income, and healthy communities. Conservation is seen as one way to support the environmental carrying capacity and food security of coastal communities.

 

Stewardship experience: Sustainable octopus fishery management in North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

 

The issue or problem being addressed

Environmental management needs to be done to further understand how high the potential of the existing octopus fishery is. Environmental management is also intended to improve the living standards of fishing communities and improve the quality of the current environment. On the other hand, communities need to independently and actively manage their coastal environment.

 

Almost all members of the coastal communities in Bulutui Village and Gangga Satu Village make their main livelihood as small fishermen. They have a very high dependence on the environment, especially the sea. Therefore, livelihood is a top priority. On the other hand, some of the people in Bulutui Village and Gangga Satu Village already have a high level of awareness about the importance of environmental conservation. However, this still needs to be improved so that all members of society in these two villages can support environmental conservation efforts. Third, it is undeniable that there are still many small fishermen in Bulutui Village and Gangga Satu Village who are living in poverty. A sustainable environment can guarantee livelihoods, which in turn will improve their economy.

 

Bulutui Village and Gangga Satu Village have very high octopus potential. This is evidenced by the large number of octopus fishermen and octopus collectors in the two villages. However, this potential has not been utilized optimally and sustainably. For example, octopus fishermen have not implemented select catch for octopuses. They catch octopuses of various sizes. The catch is collected by collectors. Unprocessed, just chilled with ice. The catch is marketed to wholesalers and exporting companies.

 

The activities

Following educational outreach, we invited fishing communities and octopus gatherers to implement temporary closures to give the octopus a chance to thrive, so that the octopuses taken will be larger in size and the profits will be higher. This temporary closure also aims to restore the octopus habitat by reducing the stress and disturbance caused by overuse of the habitat. In addition, people in Bulutui Village and Gangga Satu Village need to be encouraged to start managing octopus fisheries independently and actively. One way is through village planning, so that this octopus fishing activity can be carried out continuously and can support the lives of fishermen in these two villages.

We have been collecting data on octopus catches since 2017 and are working with collectors in the village. The results of the data collection analysis are used to plan the management of octopus fisheries with the local fishing community, in the form of temporary closures. This temporary closure was agreed with the fishing community and village government for approximately 3 months not to catch octopus (other fish may be caught). To date, Bulutui Village has carried out 3 closure cycles, and Gangga Satu Village has carried out 2 closure cycles.

 

The benefits/impacts including sustainability/environmental effects

The main impact felt was that the community was united in planning natural resource management in their village, their capacity to manage natural resources was increased, and there was an emergence of initiatives and motivation to preserve the environment. Another impact is that the community has begun to give positive feedback  and care to the marine ecosystem in terms of temporary closures, reduced use of destructive fishing gear, and patrols to protect the marine environment.

 

The success and significance of the activities

The octopus fishery management efforts carried out by the people of Bulutui Village and Gangga Satu Village have not yet been completed. We are still in the process. So far, what we have done with the communities in the two villages has yielded a lot of lessons, both positive and negative … there are still further processes that must be taken.

 

Some lessons learned or words of wisdom

Nature has given us a lot, now is the time for us to give back by preserving and using nature sustainably.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For additional information, visit: https://yapeka.or.id/rumah-boboca-desa-bulutui-zona-buka-tutup-gurita-pertama-di-sulawesi-utara/

 

 

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Fishery Facts

(Below are the applicable categories of fisheries, environment, species, gear type and livelihood role.)

 

Fishery characteristics:

• Marine capture fishery (e.g. nearshore/coastal/reef-based/deep sea)

The environment where fishing takes place: 

• Coastal – Nearshore / Coral / Mangrove

Main species targeted:

• Molluscs (including bivalves and cephalopods – e.g. octopus/clams)

Gear types/ methods used:

• Line
• Beach harvest/gleaning (e.g. collection of shellfish/algae/mangrove crabs etc.)
• Other: octopus fishing gear (pocong, ketang).

Role of the fishery in local livelihoods:

• Main source of employment