Towards improved livelihoods for Indonesian fishers in Nusa Tenggara Timor Province, Indonesia

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has observed a large influx of Indonesian vessels fishing illegally in Australian waters since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Deterrence attempts to provide alternative livelihoods to fishers active in the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) have also had limited effect due to their lack of understanding of livelihoods and multiple drivers informing decisions.
This project explores livelihood expressions of groups of Indonesian fishers operating out of Nusa Tenggara Timor (NTT) Province in Indonesia.The overarching aim of this project is to identify multiple drivers of illegal (and legal) Indonesian fishing in the AFZ, and potential opportunities for addressing gendered livelihood improvements of selected fishing communities in NTT, Indonesia. The project will engage an Australian and Indonesian multidisciplinary social science research team to build capacity and knowledge to: (a) situate illegal and legal fishing activities within a place-based assessment of livelihood trajectories; (b) identify the changing conditions that have led to the recent increase in illegal activity in Australian waters as a viable livelihood pathway in response to numerous drivers; and c) present an analysis of the research and evaluate opportunities for addressing behavioural drivers in the context of future livelihood interventions. The knowledge contribution of this project is to produce evidence for viable community development and policy alternatives to the enforcement of Australia’s borders. It is anticipated this knowledge will be used to support livelihood improvements for fishing communities as well as reducing numbers of illegal fishing incursions. Potential long-term outcomes will be supported by the readiness of the Australian and Indonesian Governments to support a livelihood development program for affected communities in NTT province.