CTC showcased a creative way to strengthen institutional capacity at the Annual Coordination Meeting of the Sustainable Blue Swimming Crab Fishery Management Committee (KPPRB) in Lampung Province by combining leadership training and art performances through a traditional “Kecak”dance session. This new approach enabled participants to gain a better understanding of leadership, while improving their communications, collaborations, and work performances.

The three-day event, held from 21-23 February 2023 at the Horison Hotel in Lampung, was organized by CTC, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) Lampung Province. A total of 55 participants, including representatives from KPPRB Lampung, DKP Lampung and West Java, and representatives from the blue swimming crab (BSC) fisher groups, women, and NGO partners, attended the event which was intended to evaluate the need for capacity building and data repository development for KPPRB Lampung.

At this year’s gathering, CTC provided a series of training to build capacity in organizational leadership and management through hands-on learning, emphasizing the development of collaboration within the institution. To this end, CTC attempted to employ a novel approach by involving participants in a “Kecak” dance. The traditional ancient Balinese dance is famous among national and international tourists and is performed in a group setting. The “Kecak” dance conveys a philosophy of coordination, synchronization, and unity applied by its dancers in playing their roles as part of a group.

Mr. Nazdan, a member of the KPPRB Executive Committee of Lampung Province, was surprised by a lot of leadership skills and values that could be gained from “Kecak” dance performance. He remarked, “We learn to work together as a team. After all, the dancing activities make us more motivated to see the event through to the end.”

Dr. Hesti Widodo, Senior Program Manager CTC, emphasized some key elements of the activity, which included honing the skill of listening and inquiring, leading and being led, and recognizing roles while delegating tasks. The entire program was divided into seven stages or sessions to facilitate the learning process and culminate in a grand finale performance by all participants.

CTC also led a focus group discussion (FGD) at the annual meeting to discuss the development, testing, and implementation of a KPPRB data and information repository in Lampung. During the discussion, the KPPRB and other stakeholders agreed on workplan to build the repository and proposed necessary training for KPPRB members and other related government institutions.

Repository data is important for KPPRB Lampung as it will provide a centralized source of information about BSC fishery that can be used to track changes, store and share, and integrate data for research, analysis, and decision-making. In addition, repository data can be used to create backups of important information, which can be used to restore data in the event of a system failure or data loss.

At the meeting, the KPPRB Lampung also endorsed the organization’s priority activities for 2023, as well as recommendations for using fisheries biology and socio-economic indicators in data acquisition and updating. These activities will be followed by outreach regarding boat registration documents to small fishers, preparation of a management plan for the BSC protection area in Way Kambas, and coaching clinics for community surveillance groups, women fishers, and BSC processors.

The BSC fisheries in Lampung have supported the livelihoods of more than 4,000 fishers and 1,000 pickers, mostly women, who work at local mini plants. Since 2018, CTC and other NGO partners have conducted a series of training and workshop to KPPRB staff and local women fishers to enhance their skills and knowledge, as well as to improve their existing small and home-based businesses. CTC also managed to run a national media campaign called Rajungan untuk Masyarakat Sejahtera (JUARA) or BSC for the Community Prosperity to help raise public awareness about sustainable BSC fisheries.

Writers: Yoga Putra, Denny Boy Mochran
Photos: Denny Boy Mochran/CTC