INTRODUCTION

Indonesia is undergoing an unprecedented and transformative period of change. From the perspective of coastal and marine resources management in Indonesia, two very notable changes are already in effect: the introduction of laws relating to regional autonomy and the establishment of a Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. The former changed the regulatory framework for management by creating a wide range of decentralised authority. The latter elevated coastal and marine management to a new level and enables fisheries-related marine issues to be considered in an integrated manner for the first time in the history of Indonesia (Dahuri 2001). In combination, the innovations have set the stage for improved coastal and marine resources management.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that Indonesia has 6.7 million marine and freshwater fishers and dependants in 7,000 coastal villages (FAO 2000). From this perspective, the management changes outlined above have occurred against a backdrop of increased conflict and contrasting fortunes. The conflict is due to increased competition between local and outside fishers for fish stocks. It is symptomatic of the lack of effective regulatory systems to control access to fisheries stocks, and of the lack of strategic guidance to balance fisheries development with other marine resource uses such as coastal reclamation and settlement, oil and gas extraction, tourism and conservation.