13.5 External Institutional and Organizational Arrangements
Link with higher government bodies
The links with the higher government levels are maintained by the village head. Ordinances
and development programs are sent to the village through the district government. The
regulations are adapted by the village head who sends them back for approval. The village
head knows that there are fisheries regulations, but has no copies of these in the village. He
explained that if he wants to be informed about the law, he would ask the Fisheries Agency or
Fisheries Department of the Municipality of Ambon.
With regard to fisheries management, the role of the national government is limited. Fisheries
management is not yet an issue in Hulaliu. There is no active enforcement of fisheries laws;
the villagers have never seen a patrol boat. Resource management, i.e., the enforcement of
local regulations, is carried out by the village government.
Twice a year, representatives from BAPPEDA, the planning agency, visit the village. Other
visitors are officers from the Fisheries Agency. They showed an interest in the fishing methods
of the people and promoted aquaculture (fish). However, the village has had a shrimp farm
that failed due to the rough seasons and the wind from the sea.
The village head of Hulaliu realizes that support by government institutions is important. He suggested
to the higher government levels to recognize adat. Later, he reported that the plans to revitalize sasi
were actually approved. The village head explained: “They cannot change everything, it is adat.”
Collaboration with other institutions
Collaboration with other institutions is seen as crucial for technical assistance and the
development of sustainable resource use. In 1993, the Hualopu Foundation and the
Environmental Studies Center of Pattimura University worked in Hulaliu to produce a booklet
on the management of local resources. The coastal management plan, which was the output
from the project, aims to preserve the natural resources. One component is the revitalization
of sasi and re-establishment of the kewang. A second component is the establishment of fish
ponds for the fishers to provide an additional income.
Learisa Kayeli, the small NGO based in Haruku, currently also has a project in Hulaliu.
External economic influences
In Hulaliu, a village with an extensive forest-garden area, the drop in clove prices has had a
negative effect on household well-being. People had to diversify their activities in order to
earn a living, and it has had a negative effect on natural resource management. The current
monetary crisis aggravates the situation even more, but to what extent is not yet clear.
Infrastructure and development
There are no large-scale development or investment projects in or around the village. The
mining operations in Haruku village have not yet had an impact on Hulaliu. Activities that
will be the result of mining operations, such as resettlement schemes, are as yet not taken
seriously. The village government also stated that if they are ordered to leave, they would
obey because it is a decision of the higher government, and that needs to be followed.
Desa Hulaliu, Haruku Island 169