ENHANCING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT THROUGH THE DISSEMINATION OF GOVERNOR REGULATION NO. 55 OF 2023 AND CITIZEN SCIENCE CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE ALAS STRAIT

Abstract

The Province of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is one of Indonesia’s major capture fisheries centers, producing more than 200,000 tons of fish in 2021. To support sustainable fisheries management, the Provincial Government of NTB enacted Governor Regulation No. 55 of 2023 concerning the Sustainable Grouper and Snapper Fisheries Management Action Plan (P2K2B) for the 2023–2028 period. This regulation emphasizes science-based fisheries management, community participation, and responsible fishing practices to ensure the long-term sustainability of fishery resources. One initiative supporting the implementation of this policy is the Citizen Science program, which involves fishers in fisheries data collection. The program has been implemented in the Alas Strait since 2020 and has contributed valuable data for fisheries management. However, several challenges remain, particularly in maintaining consistent voluntary participation from local communities in data collection activities. To enhance community understanding and engagement, a dissemination program on Governor Regulation No. 55 of 2023 and a Citizen Science refresher training were conducted from 20–22 May 2024 in three villages in East Lombok. The activities aimed to strengthen community capacity, improve awareness of sustainable fisheries management, and foster collaboration among government agencies, academics, and local communities. The results highlighted the importance of improving supporting facilities and infrastructure, strengthening participant capacity, and enhancing cross-sector collaboration to ensure the success of the Citizen Science program and sustainable fisheries management in the Alas Strait.