An institutional analysis of sasi laut in Maluku, Indonesia

Village

Type of sasi lost
or modified

Reasons given by local
respondents (not respondents)

Comments (from local
necessarily the whole story)

2
Haruku

Institution lost
twice and
revitalized in 1930s
then again in 1979._______

Reasons not given at this
time (for full information
please see case study).

Rules rewritten in 1930s in the
original language (bahasa daerah).
Renewed and rewritten in
Indonesian in 1979.

3
Kabauw

Land sasi lost in 1990s.

land rights.

Compliance problems
rooted in conflict over

Clan territories mixed up with
land claimed by Rohomini clans.

9
Paperu

Land sasi lost in 1970s.
Marine sasi no longer
functional by 1994 - 95.

Lack of compliance caused
sasi to be abandoned.

Marine resource rules were re-
introduced as village government
regulations (still called sasi) in 1996.

10

Porto

Marine sasi almost non-
existent by 1994.

Increased pressure on fishery,
intense competition among
fishers and moral
disintegration.

More people entered fishery after
clove price collapsed in 1990-91.
Land and sea sasi being revived.

13
Tengah-tengah

Village sasi non

-functional.

No reason given.

14
Rutah

Land sasi lost in 1991.

Compliance dropped when
enforcement lapsed due to
political strife in village
(pro and contra raja;
government unstable).

Sasi worked well from at least 1967
till 1989. Coconuts now harvested
and sold when green; dry coconuts
difficult to find in village.

Revitalization of sasi is planned.

15

Soahuku

Marine sasi lost
by 1956.

Theft by outsiders who
have no sasi in their village.
All villages should have
the same rules.

Marine sasi lost, some fishers still
believe there is sasi on various
resources.

17

Hitu Lama

Land sasi lost in 1940s.

Confusion over change in
administrative boundaries.

Village split into two desas but land
owned by clans in each new desa
was still mixed together.

18

Tiouw

Sasi lost in 1950s.

Conflict between church
and adat.

Sasi knowledge has died with the
elders. Fishery now dominated by
newcomers (Butonese).

19
Eri

Land sasi lost before
1970s.

Poor leadership i.e., lack of
coordination and poor
sharing of information,
led to compliance problems.

20

Seilale

Sasi adat lost.

Sasi taken over by the church.

21
Iha

Sasi lost sometime
in 1900s.

Rules never written down, now
lost because elders with
knowledge have died.

22
Ouw

Land sasi lost in 1996.

Lack of interest by kepala desa,
who is often absent and does
not work together with adat
leaders.

Uncontrolled theft followed lapse
in enforcement.

23

Booi_____

Land sasi lost in 1990s.

Price of sasi product
(cloves) collapsed.

24
Saparua

Marine and land sasi
lost in 1970s.

Urbanization caused
farmland to disappear,
water to become polluted.

Sasi abandoned at time of declining
harvests on land and sea. Marine
rules were written down but are
now lost.

25
Tuhaha

Marine sasi adat lost
in 1977.

Raja position taken by
unsuitable person : conflict
with adat leaders. (For
fuller information please
see case study).

Land and marine sasi now
being revived.