Searching for a livelihood: the dilemma of small-boat fishermen in Eastern Indonesia

Abstract

This chapter examines the situation of small boat fishermen in eastern Indonesia, a large number of whom are now engaged in illegal shark fishing in Australia waters. The paper looks at: 1) the historical background to current developments; 2) the general shift from trochus and trepang gathering to sharkfishing that occurred in the 1990’s; 3) the rapid increase in the market for shark and the variety of shark that are currently targeted; 4) differences among the four ports along the southern rim of eastern Indonesia from which most of these fishermen sail; 5) the various local networks connected to these different ports and variety of strategies and technologies that have been and are being developed by fishermen from these areas.