Pasar Ikan

The community in the Customary Territory of Kataloka has existed since before the Dutch colonial period in Indonesia—this is evidenced by various relics from the wars fought by the King of the State against the colonizers. The local community believes that their ancestors who first inhabited Gorom Island came from the sky, arriving with thunder and storms. The geographical condition of Gorom Island, located in eastern Indonesia, is known for its high biodiversity and rich marine ecosystems. The Indigenous Community of Kataloka has a conservation management area called the Fish Market. The Fish Market is a spawning location for economically valuable fish for fishermen. This geographical condition underlies the Indigenous Community of Kataloka's role in preserving the economically valuable marine ecosystem and the sustainability of fishery resources in Indonesia. Since 2011, WWF Indonesia has partnered with the Indigenous Community of Kataloka to jointly maintain the sustainability of fishery resources in their region. WWF Indonesia acts as an external institution participating in the conservation efforts of the Indigenous Community of Kataloka.

The management practices of this area are outlined in the Customary Regulation on Ngam (sasi) established by the King of Kataloka in 2014. This regulation was reinforced again in 2017 during the Kataloka Festival. Ngam (sasi) is a local wisdom-based natural resource management system applied in various regions in Indonesia, especially in Maluku. In the Maluku language, “ngam” or “sasi” means regulation or restriction. Ngam (sasi) aims to preserve marine ecosystems and maintain the sustainability of natural resources through several regulations made by mutual agreement. Since being designated as a conservation area, this area is completely closed to all excessive extraction activities. The ngam (sasi) regulations in this area focus on prohibiting fish catching activities, sand extraction, and coral stone extraction in the Fish Market area, as well as prohibiting the use of destructive fishing gear, such as bombs and potas, throughout the waters of the Kataloka Territory.

The management of this area is specifically carried out by the Wanu Atalo’a Customary Institution through the Leawana customary force. The customary institutional structure has its own roles and functions: the King of the State serves as the leader consisting of farmers, fishermen, and tourism groups. Then, the Leawana customary force plays a role in overseeing the management of this area. Through the support of WWF Indonesia, the Wanu Atalo’a Customary Institution actively participates in physical development and the management of natural and human resources in the Kataloka Territory through a set of customary rules. So far, there have been no violations in the Fish Market conservation area, but if there are violators, they will face sanctions in the form of fines or customary penalties.

The Indigenous Community of Kataloka on Gorom Island has contributed to the preservation of marine ecosystems and biodiversity through local wisdom practices of ngam (sasi). The management practices and regulations implemented, which prohibit excessive fish catching, have positively influenced the conservation quantity of biodiversity, particularly fish. Some of these fish include: Napoleon Fish, Grouper, Snapper, Kuwe Fish, and various other types of reef fish. This certainly impacts the increase in catch results for fishermen. In addition, this practice also contributes to the preservation of marine ecosystems due to the prohibition of destructive fishing gear such as bombs and potas. The use of destructive fishing gear can cause severe damage to coral reefs and other marine habitats. Furthermore, the management practices and regulations that have been implemented are able to maintain ecosystem balance and sustainability.

The Indigenous Community of Kataloka implements sasi in accordance with customary regulations agreed upon since 2014 and renewed in 2017. The government supports the designation of the waters of Koon Island as a conservation area. The East Seram Regency government issued the East Seram Regent's Decree No.523/189/KEP/2011 regarding the reservation of the waters of Neiden Island and Koon Island in the Gorom Island District as a conservation area.