31 Jan CTC Begins Implementation of Sustainable Seafood Project in the Arafura Sea

CTC has begun the implementation of its newest project, ‘Building a Sustainable Seafood Industry to Support Coastal Communities in the Arafura Sea” (SeaNet Indonesia). The initiative aims to introduce small-scale Indonesian fishermen to sustainable fishing methods, reduce fish entanglement and bycatch of threatened species and help fishing communities increase the value of their fisheries products.

It will also focus on improving financial returns for women engaged in fish processing and sales. The Arafura Sea is one of the most productive fisheries region in Indonesia and supports key shrimp and demersal fish breeding and nursery grounds. It also hosts large populations of threatened species that often become fisheries bycatch such as sea turtles sea snakes and dolphins.  The  success of project will determine the effectiveness of such an extension program to small scale fishers and their communities and indicate the suitability of extending the program to other communities in the Arafura Sea and elsewhere in the Coral Triangle.

The project is being delivered by TierraMar, in partnership with CTC which will host the program within Indonesia through funding from the Australian Government’s Coral Triangle Initiative Support Program.