24 R. A. Shidqi et al.
village and community leaders, pledging to no longer catch thresher sharks in return for resources to support their livelihood transition: fishing boats, boat engines, fishing equipment and capital for starting new businesses. We did not directly provide cash; instead, the group agreed to re- ceive capital in four instalments, with the project team close- ly monitoring the spending. These processes achieved the results of the formalization of the community agreement and constituted the fair process of incentive distribution (results R1 and R2, Fig. 2). At least 200 people attended the oath and community
declaration, comprising community members, government officials (Supplementary Table 3), police, army and non- government affiliates (tourism operators and journalists). Seven capacity-building activities were also delivered, com- prising team leadership, financial management for coopera- tives and families, responsible tuna fishing, safety at sea, value-added fish and non-fish products, and marketing. The government members co-facilitated and co-funded these training efforts and incentives. This constituted the achieve- ment of increased capacity of fishers and community mem- bers in their new livelihoods and subsequent maintenance of their economic well-being (results R3 and R3.1, Fig. 2).
Changes in income On average, the new livelihoods in- creased the monthly income of participating fishers (Fig. 3). Six of nine participating fishers experienced a sub- stantial increase, with some increasing by up to 525%relative to pre-intervention levels (Fig. 3, Supplementary Table 4), providing evidence that fishers could maintain their eco- nomic well-being from the new livelihoods and that positive outputs for livelihoods were delivered (result R3.1, Fig. 2). Fishers who adopted these new livelihoods were also gener- ally satisfied with their choices. However, three fishers reported decreased income post-transition (Fig. 3, Supple- mentary Table 4) because of personal reasons, including
sickness and family problems that limited their ability to engage fully in their new livelihoods. The women’s group also enjoyed economic benefits (Supplementary Table 5). Previously reliant on their husbands, they participated in independent economic activities. Through training and incentives, the group successfully crafted six types of pro- ducts, with three gaining market approval from the local communities and tourists: tuna floss (shredded, dried fish product), granola and shark-themed woven textiles made with natural dyes. Their products also received halaal ac- creditation, a procedure assisted by the district government as part of the policy realization (Supplementary Table 3). These efforts provided additional financial rewards, with the group averaging a monthly income of IDR 2.4 million (USD 150), contributing to their household earnings, align- ing with the accomplishment of increased capacity for the new livelihoods (result R3, Fig. 2).
Collaborative species management Political engagement led to the enactment of two regulations at the district and provincial levels, fostering local pride and participation in shark conservation through policy formations (results R4 and R5, Fig. 2). The district’s decree was signed in De- cember 2020, and although it does not ban shark fishing, it centres on improving fishers’ individual and institutional capacity to decrease socio-economic reliance on threatened species, including scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini, whale shark Rhincodon typus, green sea turtles Chelonia mydas, oceanic manta ray Mobula birostris, Napoleon wrasse Cheilinus undulatus and dugong Dugong dugon.A committee formed in January 2021 instigated a conserva- tion action plan for implementation in Lewalu and Ampera from 2021 to 2023, endorsed by all government mem- bers (Supplementary Table 3). In July 2022, the Governor’s Instruction was established
in the province to respond to district lobbying. The Instruction focused on prohibiting the capture and trading of thresher sharks and appointing government and non- government entities for co-management of sustainable use and non-extractive activities, including marine tourism. The Instruction corresponded with the revision of the Selat Pantar marine protected area, in which by 2023, stakeholders agreed to allocate an area of 16,977.94 ha for thresher shark conservation, which was drawn from a scien- tific study (Shidqi et al., 2024). The final document was pending at the time of writing but will serve as evidence and the guiding principle for marine protected area co- management for the period until 2043 (Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur, 2023).
FIG. 3 Changes in income of participating fishers pre- and post-intervention. The income of HT and AM increased to more than 400% of their pre-intervention income. Their businesses (kiosk and chicken farm) are notably less risky/uncertain than those of the other participants who chose to keep fishing.
Community outreach and pride Thirty-six young cham- pions (44% female and 56%male, aged 18–23) were selected from 15 Alor sub-districts and trained in two initiatives in 2021 and 2022. Some were the children of shark fishers
Oryx, 2025, 59(1), 19–30 © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605324001376
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