Management of plastic waste and loss of fishing gear in deep water snapper fisheries Indonesia

Konservasi Alam Nusantara - Project Dates:
September 2020 - March 2021

Description of Project:
Konservasi Alam Nusantara Initiated Plastic Waste Management and Abandon/Lost Gear Program in Snapper fishery to achieve a 3-year comprehensive goal; reduce plastic and abandon/lost gears disposal. It can be accomplished by promoting active involvement of snapper fishing industries across Indonesia Fisheries Management Areas. Through this activity, we are aiming to reduce plastic waste and abandon/lost gears disposal to the ocean by 5% looking at the total number of fleets in the snapper fishery.

Services Provided:

Scope of work for plastic waste and abandon/lost gears management in the snapper fishery included:

1. Understanding plastics and gears usage behavior in the snapper industry: Understanding the behavior in plastics and gears usage in the snapper industry is expected to provide a conceptual layout to guide strategy and actions. There is limited information on plastics waste and abandon/lost gears in particular for Indonesia snapper fishery, despite that our field technicians severely recorded these kinds of activities. Therefore, this activity will actively record this behavior through observation and in-depth discussion.

2. Fishing Crews-led plastic waste and abandon/lost gears disposal reduction to the ocean: Our proven examples working with fishing crews participating in the CODRS which transformed the status of ‘no available data’ into ‘exceptional basis data’ lays strong foundation to reduce the plastic and gears disposal into ocean. With the help of fishing crews, this program will collect, record and at the same time reduce plastic and gears usage.

3. Industries-Led plastic waste and abandon/lost gears disposal reduction: Konservasi Alam Nusantara has launched a TNC/YKAN-led Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) on Indonesia Deepwater Snapper/ Grouper (Groundfish) Fisheries in August 2019. The partnership with processors, traders, importers, and retailers mark bold commitment to maintain FIP progress towards the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Understanding significant amount of plastic usage in the processing in particular, the activity will explore the possible action in reducing number of plastics.

4. Building connection to Waste Industries: Significant amount of plastic waste in snapper fishery creates opportunity for waste industries to access and absorb. There are currently many growing initiatives to reduce plastic waste and transform into more useful goods. ‘Bank Sampah’ for instance, can be easily found in neighborhoods across Indonesia – on Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Java. At waste banks, a non-organic waste including plastic will be accepted and processed despite that there might be specific treatment for plastic waste in fishery. The Worldbank is currently takin initiative to scale up ‘Bank Sampah’. Another potential option is perhaps community work in Marauke to recollect abandoned/lost gears, clean and trade.