Application of ICT to Support Sustainable Fisheries Management: Bali Sardine Fishery, Indonesia

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become a potent tool with practical applications in various sectors, including security, transportation, agriculture, and fisheries. This paper describes the implementation and potential application of ICT to support sustainable fisheries management in sardine fishery in Bali, Indonesia. Generally, the adaptive management framework in fisheries management consists of data collection, stock assessment, management procedures, management measure development and implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. In every step of the adaptive management process, ICT can be applied. A conceptual framework and its application in the Bali Strait reveal the successful utilization of ICT to generate digital capture fisheries data through participatory data collection using the MICT-L (Marine ICT-Landing) digital catch landing data recorder, IoT (Internet of Things) GPS tracking devices, and a newly established online database. Digitalizing capture fisheries data is important to achieve robust stock assessment and to guide policy recommendations and management measures based on key indicators, such as total allowable catch (TAC) and spatial catch productivity. Furthermore, to emphasize the practical implications of our results, we describe how the system increases engagement by fisheries managers and other stakeholders and improves understanding and awareness about sustainable fish resource utilization by displaying indicators in a smart dashboard for daily monitoring. We also describe technical constraints and issues during system implementation such as GPS tracker transmission problems as well as non-technical considerations such as the willingness of fishers to participate, which is important to achieve successful implementation.