Rape and Run in Maluku: Exploitation of Living Marine Resources in Eastern Indonesia

The islands of eastern Indonesia are projected to experience the most rapid human population growth in the Indonesian archipelago within the next few decades, and development associated with this growth will exert increased pressure on the living marine resources there. Unfortunately, rampant exploitation of many of these resources is already occurring, as short-term economic gain takes precedence over long-term sustainability. Living marine resources currently being exploited include organisms that exhibit low fecundity or other life-history strategies that make them vulnerable to local extinction, such as dugongs and sea turtles. In addition, relatively prolific organisms are at risk because of the use of highly efficient, and often illegal, extraction techniques. Valuable coastal and marine habitats also are in jeopardy because of anthropogenic activities such as trawling and cyanide fishing. Rational and sustainable policies must be enacted and enforced if Indonesia is to protect and preserve its valuable marine resources.