Relevance of Using the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) at Cirata Reservoir, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Fisheries management in Indonesia’s inland waters—particularly in reservoirs like Cirata—aims to ensure sustainable use of aquatic resources by balancing ecological health, socio-economic benefits, and ecosystem-based governance amid challenges such as declining capture fisheries production.This review examines the relevance of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in supporting sustainable fisheries management in Cirata Reservoir, West Java, Indonesia. Cirata Reservoir is an inland water body that supports hydropower, aquaculture, and capture fisheries, but it also faces ecological degradation, declining capture fisheries production, eutrophication, sedimentation, and governance complexity. These conditions show that fisheries management in the reservoir requires a more integrated approach that considers ecological, social, and institutional aspects. The review was conducted using descriptive analysis of scientific literature related to EAFM implementation in inland waters and the current condition of Cirata Reservoir. The article search was conducted using the keywords EAFM, Cirata Reservoir, Capture Fisheries, and Fisheries Resources. The criteria for articles used in this paper include: (1) the article is a scientific publication with a publication year of 2010 or later, (2) the article is a scientific study with the primary topic of EAFM assessment in inland public waters, and (3) the article is a scientific publication published in a credible journal. The reviewed studies indicate that EAFM is relevant for identifying key management issues across habitat, fishing technology, social, economic, fisheries resources, governance, and stakeholder domains. In Cirata Reservoir, this approach is important because it can link environmental stress, fisheries decline, and management fragmentation within one management framework. Therefore, EAFM may serve as a useful basis for sustainable fisheries management in Cirata Reservoir.