Indigenous fishing practices offer systemic insights for Indonesia's sustainable ocean economy
Original framing: “Indigenous wisdom can guide Indonesia's efforts to build a sustainable ocean economy” — Phys.org
Indigenous fishing practices in Indonesia are not just methods of subsistence but are embedded in cosmologies that emphasize balance, reciprocity, and intergenerational responsibility. These systems have been developed over centuries and are often more resilient to ecological change than industrial models.
The integration of Indigenous fishing practices into Indonesia's Blue Economy Roadmap must be understood as part of a broader movement toward decolonizing environmental governance.
By recognizing Indigenous sovereignty and embedding their knowledge systems into policy, Indonesia can move beyond extractive models of development toward regenerative, community-led ocean stewardship. Historical patterns of marginalization and resource extraction must be actively addressed through legal and institutional reforms. Cross-cultural comparisons reveal that Indigenous systems are not relics of the past but living, adaptive frameworks that offer viable alternatives to the current crisis of ecological degradation. Future modeling must prioritize these systems as central to building a just and sustainable ocean economy.