Who are Small Scale Fishermen?
According to the Ministry of Fishery, small-scale fishermen (SSF) are defined by the size of their boats ? —under 10 Gross Tonnage (GT). But what does 10 GT look like? A typical vessel in this category measures 12 to 15 meters in length, with a beam of about 3 to 4.5 meters and a draft of 1 to 1.5 meters. Single or twin-combustion outboard engines power these boats and serve diverse purposes: commercial fishing (long liners, purse seiners), diving operations, small cargo transport for island communities, or river transport.
Recently, I returned from my community after conducting a sea trial of our new MantaOne setup, and I came to a deeper understanding of what small-scale fishermen truly represent. For me, they are much more than the official definition suggests—they are the first guardians of our ocean. They experience firsthand the impacts of every change, from public policies to the effects of climate change.
As a marginal community, small-scale fishermen face a complex web of challenges. The scarcity of fossil fuels, misuse of their identities, limited access to fair markets, lack of safety features like AIS (Automatic Identification Systems), and difficulties in accessing microcredit are just a few of the issues they contend with daily. These layers of challenges are daunting, yet they persist as stewards of our marine ecosystem.
When I started my journey with Azura Indonesia , I never imagined it would lead me to this level of understanding. Developing MantaOne for the SSF market became more than just proving the potential of electrification in the-just-transition era. It became about ensuring that the technology truly benefits those who need it most—the ones who form the backbone of our coastal communities and protectors of our seas.
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Small-scale fishermen are not just a statistic or a vessel specification. They are the lifeblood of sustainable marine ecosystems and an integral part of preserving the ocean for future generations.
In the community we work with now, the current fishermen represent the last generation of their kind—no younger fishermen are coming up to take their place. This reality underscores the urgency of our mission. Through the Nelayan Lestari Program, we strive to live up to its name: Lestari, meaning "abiding" or "everlasting." Fishermen should always be there, safeguarding our oceans and sustaining our lives, as long as the sea continues to support us.
Nelayan pasti lestari!
Passionate Development Activist | Communications Specialist
2 周This is so beautiful Nadea N.. I love how the narrative changes as we see SSF as the First Guardian of our Ocean. The term regards them with more agency, whereas SSF puts them in a more strict commercial perspective with limited abilities.
NUS Master’s Candidate & A Sustainable Villa Manager
1 个月Always a fan of your works, Kak Dea! Good luck with the Nelayan Lestari program. ??
Religion, Intellectual, Revelation, many businesses become glory.
1 个月The government only contains episodes of theoretical policy scales and statistical scales without parameters of eligibility that apply in the minority of national life. However, if the election results in 1 square kilometer of poor people's domicile produce far more election votes than 1 square kilometer of rich people's domicile. That is the reality of the facts of national life in a state.
Integrated Optics Design Engineer
1 个月It's almost always the most vulnerable who are the least likely to afford the climate effort and transition. Kudos to Azura Indonesia for addressing the issue!