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Date released
06 June 2025

An ACIAR-funded initiative is supporting fishing communities in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara Province and Timor-Leste to strengthen local fisheries management and improve food productivity and nutrition security. Led by WorldFish, a team of researchers from the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and CSIRO, as well as fisheries managers and coastal communities in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, are testing approaches to improve the sustainability and nutrition outcomes of small-scale fisheries. 

‘This research aims to refocus fisheries management from primarily the sustainability of fish stocks and economic output, to also include nutrition improvement of small-scale fishing communities,’ said BRIN Senior Researcher Dr Dedi S Adhuri.  

Dr Adhuri added that the research emphasises engagement and knowledge exchange between local communities, government agencies and researchers. ‘Through a participatory and collaborative approach, we work together to identify challenges and opportunities of how fisheries can contribute to improving the diets of small-scale fishing communities.’ 

Meanwhile, Research Analyst with WorldFish – Timor-Leste, Ms Noviana Das Dores Faria Simoes, said this research can help inform government policies that promote the livelihoods of fishing communities. 

Man standing in water next to a boat
A fisher docking his fishing boat at a beach in Belu Regency.
Group of people standing on the sand near the water
Binagua-Belu Exchange Program, as part of the Nutrition Sensitive Fisheries Management project.
Men crouching down and working with fishing gear
Indonesian fishers show their counterparts from Timor-Leste how to assemble and use fish aggregating devices using local tech
Market stalls on the side of the road
Locals selling fresh produce by the side of the road in Belu Regency.

Indonesian and Timorese fishing communities connect and learn 

As part of the project, ACIAR, WorldFish and BRIN recently brought 5 male fishers and 2 female processors and gleaners from Binagua in Timor-Leste to Belu Regency in Indonesia to deepen knowledge on existing fishing and fish processing practices and explore new techniques. The exchange also reestablished links between communities that had lost contact since Timor-Leste’s independence. 

The Timorese participants engaged enthusiastically in hands-on sharing sessions with their Indonesian counterparts, who were equally excited to connect with their ‘brothers and sisters’, as they called them. 

Fisherman Mr Antonio Paulo Ribeiro said he was grateful for the opportunity to learn about new fishing techniques and devices from his Indonesian counterparts and put them to practise in Belu waters. ‘I am grateful for the valuable knowledge the Belu fishers shared with me and excited to try them back home,’ he said. 

Man speaking to a group of people sitting in a circle
Dr Dedi S Adhuri (Senior Researcher, BRIN) briefs fishers, gleaners and processors from Timor-Leste.

Gleaner and processor Ms Alexandrina Tina de Jesus Costa also expressed her excitement about sharing experiences with gleaners and processors from Belu. ‘This project helps me to better understand the nutritional benefits of eating fish and increase my skills in fish marketing,’ she said, adding that she looks forward to sharing what she learned in Belu with her community members in Timor-Leste. 

ACIAR Country Manager, Timor-Leste, Mr Luis de Almeida said this exchange was one of the innovative activities from the project that put nutrition outcomes for vulnerable people at the centre of fishing, fisheries management, fish marketing and education around fish in diets. 

‘ACIAR is committed to focusing on Timor-Leste’s priorities in food security and livelihood improvement, and building partnerships through locally led engagement. This exchange is a great example of research partners facilitating an activity in which the community has an integral role in shared learnings,’ said Mr de Almeida. 

Ongoing impacts of ‘nutrition sensitive’ fisheries interventions  

Since 2021, the ACIAR-funded project has also trained key groups about the nutritional benefits of eating aquatic foods. These include pregnant and lactating women, fathers and the senior women and men who influence dietary practices. The project also trained local entrepreneurs, particularly women, in post-harvest techniques that boost the longevity of fish products. It has also facilitated the establishment of co-management committees, which enable communities to organise fisheries management, empowering them to take responsibility for their coastal resources. 

Fish lined up in a row on a bench
Fresh fish sold by the side of the road in Belu Regency.

For Indonesia, Kenebibi Village Secretary, Mr Martinus Mali said, the research has helped fishers and mothers better understand the nutritional values of the local aquatic catches. He added that villages have also come together to formulate and commit to an agreement to collectively protect the coastal resources, which will support the sustainability of stocks. 

While the four-year AU$2.5 million project is set to conclude in July this year, project leader with WorldFish, Dr David Mills, said the project would have ongoing impacts as it had forged some strong partnerships between fisheries, nutrition experts and agencies in government. It also provided evidence of how fisheries and nutrition policy can work together by testing ‘nutrition sensitive’ fisheries interventions that can be applied in many places. 

ACIAR Project: A nutrition-sensitive approach to fisheries management and development in Timor-Leste and Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, Indonesia (FIS/2017/032) 

Fisheries management
Nutrition