Locations
seaBLUE
Strengthening Livelihood of Small-scale Fishers and Promoting Sustainable Local Economic Development through the Blue Economy Project
ProjectBackgroundIndonesia, the world's largest archipelago with over 17,000 islands, is home to 2 million small-scale fishers who contribute 60% of national capture production. Yet, these small-scale fishers face persistent poverty, limited infrastructure and vulnerability to climate change. |
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Challenges
Climate changecauses declining fish stocks, ocean acidification, and marine pollution. |
Fossil fuel dependenceincreases operational costs and generate carbon emissions, directly polluting the ocean. |
Limited access to cold storage,processing and packaging facilities, lead to post-harvest losses. |
Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishingdue to weak traceability costs Indonesia IDR9 trillion annually. |
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What We Do
UNDP with support from the Government of Japan and collaborative efforts with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MoMAF) is implementing a 12-months (2025 - 2026) “Strengthening Livelihood of Small-scale Fishers and Promoting Sustainable Local Economic Development through the Blue Economy” or seaBLUE project in two fisheries-dependent districts: Morotai and Tanimbar, promoting sustainable blue economy practices while addressing gender inequality, improving food security and income generation.
Enhanced livelihood opportunities
Small-scale fishers are among the most vulnerable to climate change. Rising ocean temperatures and acidification are depleting fish stocks, putting 96% of Indonesia’s fishers considered as small scale even more at risk to post-harvest resource degradation.
seaBLUE project will contribute to enhance capacity of 500 small-scale fishers, at least 30% women, in alternative livelihoods, standardized fishing skills, post-harvest practices, and business skills. These opportunities will help diversify income, improve household resilience, and empower women whose role in fisheries is often undervalued.
Improved fishing supply chains through the use of green technologies
Post-harvest losses remain a major challenge for small-scale fishers in eastern Indonesia. In Morotai, an integrated cold storage facility with 200-ton capacity was established, but small-scale fishers still face limited access due to distance from landing sites, and unstable electricity supply, leaving many dependent on ice blocks or traditional methods that reduce quality and shorten shelf life. In Tanimbar, where cold storage facilities are largely absent and electricity remains limited in coastal villages, fishers struggle even more to keep catches fresh long enough to reach bigger markets.
seaBLUE project introduces solar-powered boat engines, eco-friendly cooler boxes, and communal cold storage to reduce post-harvest waste and carbon emissions. By improving fish quality, fishers will have better quality of catch, eventually opening to better markets and higher incomes.
Strengthened institutional capacity for sustainable fisheries practices
Weak traceability and data gaps undermine fisheries governance in both islands, making it harder to combat IUU fishing and ensure fair market access. seaBLUE addressed this by strengthening fisher data integration, expanding registration systems with a focus on inclusivity, and piloting QR code-based traceability tools.
In addition, government officials will be trained in sustainable fisheries management topics. This will ensure local governments in Morotai and Tanimbar have improved knowledge and stronger systems to protect marine resources, enhance transparency, and support long-term blue economy development.
Advancing Indonesia's Blue Economy
Indonesia has positioned the blue economy as a key pathway toward achieving its Vision 2045, emphasizing sustainable ocean governance, resilient coastal livelihoods, low-carbon development, and inclusive economic growth. Aligned with Indonesia’s Blue Economy Roadmap 2023–2045 and UNDP’s global commitment to advancing inclusive and sustainable ocean economies, the seaBLUE project supports locally driven innovations that strengthen climate-resilient fisheries, promote clean marine technologies, and enhance the resilience of small-scale fishers in remote coastal communities.
Commitment to GESIThe seaBLUE project is committed to advancing gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) by ensuring small-scale fishers, especially women, have equitable access to skills, resources, and economic opportunities through targeted capacity building, support for inclusive data systems, and a commitment to at least 30% women beneficiaries. |
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