Casting Wider Nets of Support: Sama-Bajau Fishers and the Many Relationships Behind Climate Resilience

"Casting Wider Nets of Support: Sama-Bajau Fishers and the Many Relationships Behind Climate Resilience" is the first issue of the SEARCA Case Stories Series. It examines how Sama-Bajau fishers in Wangi-Wangi Island, Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia are responding to climate change, shifting weather patterns, rising seas, higher fishing costs, and growing livelihood risks.

Based on SEARCA-supported doctoral research by Amar Maruf of Universitas Halu Oleo, the case story shows that climate resilience in small-scale fisheries is shaped not only by individual adaptation, but also by wider networks of support. These include middlemen, private companies, government offices, national park authorities, cooperatives, fisheries agencies, NGOs, and local communities that help fishers access credit, markets, equipment, training, information, and collective voice.

The publication offers useful insights for policymakers, development practitioners, researchers, and fisheries stakeholders working on climate adaptation, coastal livelihoods, and inclusive rural development. It highlights the need to connect fishers’ lived experience with scientific evidence, fair market access, institutional support, and participatory decision-making so that fishing communities can move from coping with climate shocks to planning for a more resilient future.