An ecosystem services perspective for the economic value of seafood production supported by seagrass ecosystems: An exercise in Derawan Island, Indonesia

Abstract

Seagrass meadows provide provisioning services that play a vital role in food security and human wellbeing, especially on the small island. However, the utilisation value is uncalculated as support for seafood production and livelihoods for the community, because they are considered as alternative uses, so that seagrass ecosystem services are underestimated and undervalued. This paper aims to show the economic value provided by seagrass ecosystem services in providing seafood, both as a primary or secondary source. Through field survey and effect on production (EOP) analysis shows that capture fisheries and other marine biota collecting, both crustacean and mollusc species associated with the seagrass ecosystem are utilised directly by coastal communities in Derawan Island, Indonesia. Estimates of the economic value of fish and marine biota employed in the seagrass ecosystem area are US$ US$ 13,488.80 and US$ 35,744.69 per hectare per year, respectively, or a total of US$ 49,233.49 per hectare per year. This value demonstrates the potential importance of seagrass ecosystems. Unfortunately, these benefit values have not been fully understood by the communities, so that many people ignore the function of seagrass ecosystem services as provisioning services, although in the scarcity the utilisation of the seagrass ecosystem is quite intensive. Hence, the precautionary principle and suggesting conservation actions in a participatory manner is challenging to implement.

Provisioning services of seagrass ecosystem in Pari Island

“…They use handlines, nets to catch fish, knives, machetes, and crowbars to harvest shellfishes. This situation is the same as it occurs in Bintan, Wakatobi, Derawan, Kei Kecil Island, and Youtefa Bay [9,10,11,22,7].…”

“…For example, Thallassia hemprichii leaves are very strong in inhibiting the free radicals and contain tremendous potential for utilization as a source of natural antioxidants [2]. Many biotas are harvested from seagrass ecosystem and used for consumption or livelihood, such as fishes, sea cucumbers, swimming crabs, shellfish, squids, and seahorses [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11].…”

Penyebab dan Dampak Ekologis dari Susut Hasil Produksi Ikan di Indonesia

“…Sebuah penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perikanan tangkap dan pengumpulan biota laut lainnya, baik spesies krustasea maupun moluska yang berasosiasi dengan ekosistem lamun dimanfaatkan langsung oleh masyarakat pesisir di Pulau Derawan, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia (Kurniawan et al, 2020). Selain itu, mangrove juga terancam oleh aktivitas akuakultur.…”

A regional and international framework for evaluating seagrass management and conservation

“…Seagrass meadows are recognised as one of the most productive ecosystems in the coastal zone, present in both tropical and temperate waters, with an estimated global coverage of 160,387 km 2 , and potentially as much as 266,562 km 2 [1]. Seagrass meadows provide important ecosystems services that contribute greatly to human wellbeing and the security of coastal communities through supporting fisheries, food security, cultural and recreational activities, habitat functioning and contributing significantly to global 'blue carbon' stores [2][3][4]. Over the last two decades, seagrass science has grown, notable by the surge in seagrass research publications, with over 70% of seagrass peer-reviewed literature generated since the start of the new millennium [5].…”