Sven Blankenhorn

Seaweed Farming and Artisanal Fisheries in an Indonesian Seagrass Bed Sven Blankenhorn

In Indonesia, coastal villages traditionally strongly depend on fisheries. With increasing population density and fishing pressure, alternative sources of income become more important. One economic activity is seaweed farming, which has been introduced in Indonesia since the 1980s. Algae farming is mostly restricted to shallow coastal waters and their natural ecosystems, e. g. seagrass beds. They themselves are habitats for many species which are the basis for traditional fisheries. Therefore, if seaweed farming causes the seagrass ecosystem to change, its economical benefits might be outbalanced by losses in the fisheries sector. The research for this thesis included investigations of seaweed farming and its economic importance and influence on seagrass flora, the economic importance of artisanal fisheries` practices and implications for management, and the variation of fish stock and gill net fishery in a seagrass bed in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. This book provides insight in the dynamics of a socio-ecological system and gives guidelines for development agencies and decision makers for the implementation of seaweed farming as an source of alternative income in the Indo-Pacific.