Large-scale commercial fishers
The bait fishery which uses FADs, purse seines and lift nets is highly developed on the Seri
coast. Most lift nets are owned by outsiders, but two are in the hands of local fishers. During
our research, 15 purse seine boats, at least 48 FADs and lift nets, two long liners and one
trawler (the Mina Raya V used for fish transport) were observed in operation (Sahertian, pers.
obs.). Of the 15 purse seiners off the coast of Seri, four are owned by a Butonese fisher who
lives in Wemi (near Seri), one boat is owned by a fisher from Hatalai, and two are in hands of
local fishers.
The purse seine fishery is arranged through an array of informal agreements among the boat
owners, the crew and buyers etc. There is a code of conduct that fishers abide by, which
regulates the division of catches and facilitates labor arrangements and responsibilities (see
Chapter 3).
14.2 Attributes of the Community and Fishers
In 1997, the total village population of Seri was 1991 persons divided over 425 households
with an average household size of 4-5 people. The large majority of villagers is Christian with
a minority (10%) of Islamic Butonese people. There is no indication of migration. Last year, 16
tourists visited the village.
The village has a health center and electric service (there is TV). There is an elementary school.
A public water supply provides the houses with fresh water. Canals and septic tanks handle
wastewater and sewage respectively.
The village is connected by asphalt road and there is public transportation straight to the city
of Ambon where the main (fish) market is. The distance from Seri to Ambon is 24 km and to
the sub-district center, Amahusu, 17 km. Seri is situated near an important landing place for
fish called Wemi. The means of communication are limited; there is one telephone in the
house of the dusun head.
Employment
Contrary to the official figure, approximately a quarter of the population are full-time fishers
(also working on boats and lift nets) of whom 75 fish in the artisanal sector. Most people work
both as fishers and farmers. The forest gardens are mainly cultivated during the east monsoon
season (the wet, rainy season) when vegetables and fruit trees are planted. In the dry season,
people work both as fishers and part-time farmers. In the last month of the dry season, people
start to plant their gardens to anticipate the incoming rainy season. However, when the dry
season is too long, people take up fishing again.
The numbers of fishers, farmers, vendors/shopkeepers (20), laborers and government officials
(160) are higher in 1997 than in 1979. In the past 10 years, the number of fishers has increased
because the fishing facilities have improved.
14.2.1 Village government
Seri is a dusun (sub-village) of Urimesing and, therefore, does not have an independent village
government. The LMD of Urimesing has 17 members of which four are representatives from
180 An Institutional Analysis of Sasi Laut in Maluku, Indonesia