Abstract

Some argue that one of the key factors contributing to marine resource and environmental degradation, as well as to the poverty of fishers in Indonesia was the centralized resource management system. Since the start of the era of reform in 1998, Indonesia has experienced many fundamental changes, including decentralization of fisheries management.

This paper assess impacts of the decentraization on fishers living condition and their struggle. This study shows that decentralization in Indonesia, including decentralization of fishery resources management, has not brought any significant improvement to fishers’ living conditions. Thus, I argue that what is important is not the decentralization per se, but those who are in power. If the people in power put more emphasize in pursuing economic growth and their own prosperity without paying enough attention to the environment and poor people, decentralization would not bring any significant improvement to the environment and poor people such as fishers. In that case, decentarlization simply moves the locus of power from central government to local government.

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