Key Points:

• Southeast Asia’s largest lake, the Tonle Sap in Cambodia, is being depleted due to environmental erosion and illegal fishing.
• The Cambodian government’s attempts to crackdown on large illegal fisheries has hit local fishermen and small businesses the hardest.
• As the Natuna Islands continue to protect their seas from illegal fishing while keeping the local economy intact, the Indonesian government can be better informed by Cambodia’s experiment. New policies in Natuna must take into account small businesses as pillars of the regional economy.

Tonle Sap Lake

In the heart of Cambodia lies the Tonle Sap Lake. The lake’s basin, a lifeline for more than 3 million people, is home to one of the most productive freshwater fisheries in the world. According to Conservation International, “Tonle Sap and Cambodia’s inland fisheries account for more than two-thirds of Cambodians’ protein consumption and are worth an estimated $2 billion USD annually.”

Generations have made fishing on Tonle Sap their livelihood. But the next generation is not inheriting the same lake has their forbearers.

With each year since 2019, the fish population in Tonle Sap has decreased due to illegal fishing, drought, and new dams to the upper Mekong River. According to Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration, freshwater fish catches were down 13.7% in 2020, and fell again in 2021 by another 7%.

Illegal fishing has wreaked havoc on the environment, the economy, and the very same fish populations these malpractices seek to profit from. To address this issue, the Cambodian government has cracked down on illegal fishing. However, local fishermen who make their livelihoods off Tonle Sap have been hit the hardest by these regulations.

In recent years, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has sent millions towards revamping the country’s fisheries sector. Measures included releasing endangered fish into the lake to revive the population and designating 8 “no-take” zones in the lake. The intent was to crack down on harmful illegal methods like electrofishing, but the enforcement of these policies has left fishermen on Tonle Snap trying to adapt with no safety net in place for the people who provide 70% of Cambodia’s catches.

Fishermen there say that they have been forced to either find new work after a lifetime on the lake, or risk hefty fines to their small business due to regulations meant to curb large-scale harm. These fines, often required to be paid in cash to the arresting officer, are understood to be bribes by the fisherfolk.

The case of the Tonle Sap shows how bad actors can debilitate and entire region if the government does not take steps to protect small businesses from well-intentioned regulation.

What does this mean for Natuna Islands?

Natuna

The seas around Natuna supply 10% of the world’s fish. Due to their position along a highly trafficked sea trade route, Natuna is especially susceptible to illegal fishing.

There are several initiatives already existing and currently in progress on the Islands. In addition to the 472 Aquaculture Households (RTP) spread across 15 Districts in Natuna, 4 locations in 4 sub-districts will be developed into the next Aquaculture Area (KPB).

Until 2021, Natuna has 5,658 Capture Fisheries Households (RPT), with total capture fisheries production reaching 132,632.65 tons, and Bunguran Barat Subdistrict has the highest production.

When it comes to different methods, Natuna capture fisheries are indeed more dominating in terms of the number of businesses partaking in this practice and the amount of production compared to aquaculture.

The Minapolitan area in particular aims to be a driving force for the people’s economy in the regions and fishery production centers through synergies between raw material production, processing and marketing activities.

The basic concept of developing the Minapolitan area is to create balanced inter-regional development in sustainable, integrated, efficient and quality resource management. Specifically, by increasing productivity and the income of fishermen, cultivators and fish processors, the region will continue to be a leader in maritime business.