Behind the growing economic value of mud crabs lies a major challenge: ensuring that this valuable coastal resource remains available in the wild without compromising ecosystem health or the livelihoods of communities that depend on it. In Southeast Maluku, efforts to address this challenge are being strengthened through fisheries governance grounded in data, compliance, and an ecosystem approach.

These efforts were the focus of the Mud Crab Working Group Meeting to Review the Action Plan and Progress towards Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certification, held at Hotel Kamari   in Ambon on 7–8 September 2026. The forum brought together representatives of government, communities, academia, civil society organizations, and fisheries stakeholders to review progress in mud crab management and agree on improvements measures.

The meeting was organized through collaboration among GEF-6 CFI Indonesia, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), the Maluku Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office (DKP), and WWF Indonesia, together with various local stakeholders.

The Mud Crab Working Group Meeting to Review the Action Plan and Progress towards Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certification was held at Hotel Kamari, Ambon, on 7–8 September 2026. Participants included representatives of the Kupang Marine Management Center through the Sorong Service Unit (Ambon Working Area), the Maluku Provincial DKP, the Southeast Maluku Regency DKP, the Kei Islands Group VIII Branch Office, the GEF-6 CFI Indonesia PMU, WWF Indonesia, academics from Pattimura University’s FPIK, KUB Wear Manun, and Ohoi Warwut.

The meeting was attended by representatives of MMAF, the Ambon Working Area of the Sorong Service Unit, Kupang Marine Management Office, the Maluku Provincial DKP, the Southeast Maluku Regency DKP, the Kei Islands Group VIII Branch Office, the GEF-6 CFI Indonesia Programme Management Unit (PMU), WWF Indonesia, Pattimura University’s Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science (FPIK), KUB (Joint Business Group) Wear Manun, and Ohoi Warwut.

Opening the meeting, Erawan Asikin, Head of the Maluku Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office, said that mud crab management in the Hoat Sorbay area had been underway since 2020 and had shown positive progress.

Head of the Maluku Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office, Erawan Asikin, delivers his remarks and officially opens the Mud Crab Working Group Meeting to Review the Action Plan and Progress towards  Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certification at Hotel Kamari, Ambon, 7–8 September 2026.

According to Erawan, most technical management measures had been implemented well. However, several aspects still need to be strengthened, particularly stock status, Harvest Control Rules and Tools (HCRs), data availability, and compliance.

He also emphasized the importance of maintaining the progress achieved through the Fishery Improvement Project (FIP), including efforts to increase the value and price of catches. Any increase in production, he added, should be managed in a measured manner by diversifying production sources rather than relying solely on the Evu and Warwut areas.

“In the end, wise consumers will appreciate and pay a premium for efforts to use natural resources sustainably, including sustainably harvested mud crab, on their plates and at their dining tables,” said Erawan.

The stock assessment presented by Kamaluddin Kasim, Senior Policy Analyst at the MMAF Center for Strategic Policy, indicated that several areas of work still need to be addressed to meet all MSC certification criteria.

The survey continued to record catches of undersized crabs, accounting for approximately 3.61% of Scylla serrata and 11% of Scylla olivacea. Meanwhile, catch per unit of effort (CPUE) was recorded at approximately 0.7 kg per trap-haul.

The Kobe Plot analysis showed that stock status under the Schaefer model was in the green quadrant, while the Fox model remained in the orange quadrant. The spawning potential ratio (SPR) was recorded at approximately 26 percent for sea crab and 17.6 percent for land crab, relatively similar to the results in 2025.

These findings suggest progress in biomass, but biological pressure still needs to be controlled to maintain the sustainability of the stock.

WWF Indonesia representative Alfi said that, of the 20 FIP indicators, two key areas still require attention: stock status and harvest control rules and tools (HCRs).

HCRs need to be developed to respond more effectively to changes in stock status, including through measures governing the number of fishing gears, fishing days, and crab size requirements. Strengthening HCRs also requires consistent data and effective compliance in the field.

During the focus group discussion (FGD), participants identified a number of challenges, ranging from limited availability and high fuel costs, product losses at sites, limited availability of traps, suboptimal grading practices, inadequate monitoring of crab size and fishing activities, the use of fishing gear that is not environmentally friendly, and data gaps.

Participants also formulated a number of solutions, including establishing fuel depots and increasing fuel quotas, agreements among Ohoi heads on the use of fishing areas, support for fishing-trap equipment, outreach on grading and environmentally friendly fishing gear, strengthened regulations and monitoring, and improved recording and compilation of fisher data.

Participants further proposed Water Reef as a potential site for development into a sanctuary area. The proposal requires follow-up surveys to assess the site's suitability and habitat conditions.

Project Manager of the GEF-6 CFI Indonesia PMU, Adipati Rahmat Gumelar, commended the Working Group meeting, which brought together various stakeholders to review and strengthen mud crab management in Southeast Maluku.

According to Adipati, the process towards MSC certification is important not only as recognition of sustainable fishing practices, but also as an opportunity to ensure that mud crab management is carried out consistently and based on measurable outcomes.

“Working towards MSC certification is important to ensure that mud crab management in Southeast Maluku focuses not only on increasing production and economic value, but also on maintaining healthy stocks, safeguarding ecosystem health, and delivering benefits to communities that depend on this resource,” Adipati said.

He added that the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) provides an important foundation for this process. Mud crab management considers not only stock status and catches, but also habitat, fishing activities, socio-economic aspects, governance, and the interconnections among ecosystem components.

The Working Group meeting followed the Validation of Mud Crab Fisheries Data (Scylla serrata and Scylla olivacea) in Southeast Maluku, conducted on 17–22 July 2026. It aimed to strengthen biological data, technical and socio-economic information, and the underlying database needed to support sustainable fisheries management.

For Southeast Maluku, the path towards sustainable mud crab fisheries is about more than meeting certification indicators. More broadly, it is part of an effort to establish governance that balances resource conservation, ecosystem health, and the well-being of coastal communities.

Through the synergy of GEF-6 CFI Indonesia, MMAF, the Maluku Provincial Government, the Southeast Maluku Regency Government, WWF Indonesia, academics, communities, and fisheries stakeholders, mud crab management in Hoat Sorbay is expected to continue to be strengthened.