However, a legal basis for the village role, and in particular for the adat institution, sasi,is
not explicitly provided. Government staff personnel acknowledge the strategic position of
local governments as implementing agents but also tend to see village chiefs as being in-
competent in resource management.
• Fisheries management issues are not of central concern to village chiefs, who have
heavy work loads and are mostly concerned with economic development.
• Control by the navy is difficult because its personnel are found only at the provincial
level and tend to focus on international piracy and deep-water fisheries infringements.
• Cooperation between the navy and the police as well as with the army (Babinsa, who
may be present in villages) is not optimal.
• The enforcers (police and navy) are important players. In many cases, infractions
which were not dealt with properly have caused other problems to arise (for instance,
bad relations with community leaders) which will hamper future management.
6.5 Operationalizing Fisheries Policy
In operationalizing fisheries policies, there are two central activities: 1) the process of
establishing a plan for a development project, and 2) the process of producing a fisheries law.
6.5.1 The process of establishing a development project plan
As stated in the Governmental Decree on coordination of development planning in the regions
(PP No. 6, 1988), BAPPEDA has to integrate all the development planning within a region so as
to minimize environmental impacts and ensure sustainability of resources. In the planning
process called P5D, BAPPEDA coordinates the macro planning, whereas technical institutions
establish the micro plans. A proposed project that may bring disadvantage to a community and
offers no appropriate compensation can be rejected by the provincial or district government.
The establishment of the Regional Development Management and Planning Orientation (P5D)
starts with the collection of ideas from village governments and proceeds as follows:
1. Village level. Through the Village Development Deliberation (Musbangdes), various
village stakeholders have the chance to suggest their ideas, which may include those
for the development of fisheries.
2. Sub-district level. Ideas from the village are introduced to the Permanent Work Region
Unit (UDKP). This forum begins selecting ideas for project development.
3. District level. At a Development Coordination Meeting (Rakorbang I), representatives
from relevant sectoral institutions (such as the Fisheries Agency) contribute their
planning suggestions, including suggestions on coastal development.
4. Provincial level. At the Development Coordination Meeting (Rakorbang II), proposals
from all the districts and from the province are reviewed to made sure that provincial
and district level projects can support one another.
5. The final work programs are reviewed by the Regional House of Representatives
(DPRD) and, if approved, will then be announced as development projects.
Because it starts at the village level, this looks like a “bottom-up approach”. In reality, what
is finally approved after the lengthy rounds of selection and project development may be far
from the original ideas proposed or ideas from a village may be dropped entirely. Another
problem is that only formal government structures are involved. At the Musbangdes level,
input from local stakeholders is coordinated by the LKMD assisted by a representative from
the sub-district level. The kewang, being part of an adat institution, is not acknowledged in
62 An Institutional Analysis of Sasi Laut in Maluku, Indonesia