The fishers in Tuhaha sell the major part of their catch; only 23% are used for household
consumption. Four fishers of our sample do not eat any of the fish they catch, and none eat
more than half of their catch.
12.3.1 Local fish trade
The trading of artisanal catches is mainly in the hands of women. Our respondents had extensive
experience in retail (20-30 years). Especially after the clove market was monopolized, more
women reverted to the fish trade. The women trade in all kinds of fish that they take as far as
Masohi (on Seram Island). They buy the fish straight from local fishers in Tuhaha, Nolloth and
Saparua. However, unlike the Nolloth traders, they bring no merchandise back to Tuhaha.
Between the buyer and seller, there is no relationship, i.e., the person who comes first gets the
fish. The fish vendors in Tuhaha sell only fresh fish. The fish that are not sold are smoked or
dried and used for household consumption. Other post-harvest techniques are not used.
In the 1980s, prices for fish were low, but currently the prices are very high. Despite the high
prices, the preference of consumers for fish has not changed.
12.3.2 Commercial-scale trade
Tuhaha Bay is an important provider of baitfish that are caught with lift nets. The small fish
are sold to the large pole and line fishing boats that use them as bait to catch, amongst others,
skipjack and tuna. At night, these fishers from Ambon come to buy the fish directly from the
lift net fishers. These lift net fishers receive an initial payment of Rp2,000 per bucket of fish,
plus an additional 10% of the revenues made by the pole and line fishers. These transactions
are based on trust, and it is not surprising that, between the two parties, long-term trade
relations sometimes exist.
Others send their fish to auctioneers who wait at the fish landing areas and take the fish to the
market in Ambon. In this case, the price paid usually depends on the outcome of the auction and
can vary daily, but the price can also be determined between the buyer and seller beforehand (see
Chapter 3).
If there is no such arrangement, the lift net fishers may choose to bring their fish to local or regional
markets (e.g., Tulehu, Ambon, Masohi), wherever they have regular customers. The market in
Seram is dominated by South Sulawesi traders and here the fish are sold for cash only.
12.4 Institutional and Organizational Arrangements
12.4.1 Loss of sasi
The former sasi regulations in Tuhaha were designed during the Dutch colonial period. The
regulations were designed by the kewang and the traditional village leaders and approved by
the Dutch. The aim of sasi was to protect the resources from destruction and also to provide
boundaries for both the land and the sea territories. On the land, sasi was applied on fruits,
e.g., cloves, durian, bananas, and coconuts. Sasi regulations prevented theft and assured timely
harvests during which large amounts of ripe products could be harvested.
Later, in the 19th century, sasi operational rules on fish were established. Fishing was prohibited
in both the nursery grounds and the river estuary. The main target species was lompa fish
Desa Tuhaha, Saparua Island 147