An institutional analysis of sasi laut in Maluku, Indonesia

2.4 Institutional Analysis of Sasi: Village Case Studies, Resilience, and
Contextual Attributes

2.4.1 Objectives

A central component of our study was an institutional analysis of case studies in six villages
(Table 2.8). Following the institutional analysis framework (see Section 1.2), data from each
village were gathered on contextual variables and the structure and function of institutional
arrangements and management outcomes.

The key objective of this component was to analyze how local institutional arrangements,
interacting with the contextual variables, affect the actions of the resource users by shaping the
incentives and disincentives they face or comply with, resulting in the adaptation to, and
enforcement of, local management rules. The patterns of interaction result in outcomes (i.e.,
equity, efficiency, social and biological sustainability) that we measured through the performance
study, but also by using direct observations of biological indicators (see Section 2.3).

Table 2.8. Status of case study villages in 1997.

A second objective of the case studies was to test a hypothesis concerning the resilience of the
sasi institution. Resilience is the ability of the system to absorb and deal with changes and
shocks. The study was designed to provide data on changes in institutional arrangements and
patterns of change of the sasi system as a whole through time, i.e., objectives, boundaries, rules
and regulations, enforcement, etc. By examining why sasi has endured or why it has been being
lost, mechanisms that enhance institutional resilience can be identified. This knowledge will
help in maintaining existing or in developing new fisheries management systems.

A third objective was to supply contextual information on market mechanisms and external
political attributes related to fisheries management.

The market structures (demand, supply, fish prices, marketing options, relations between buyers
and sellers etc.) are important contextual variables that influence incentives and institutional
arrangements. Players on different levels, i.e., large-scale fish traders operating on the international
market, wholesalers, traders on local and island levels and their inter-relationships were investigated.

External political factors include relationships among government agencies on provincial,
district, sub-district and local levels. We sought to elucidate their division of tasks and
responsibilities, and how the resulting structure and function shape the incentives and
disincentives to cooperate in resource governance, management and use. Acknowledgment
of local management structures, enforcement, law distribution, and support to fishers on the
local level are some of the aspects that need to be taken into account when studying possibilities
for co-management arrangements.

22 An Institutional Analysis of Sasi Laut in Maluku, Indonesia

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