Customary Marine Tenure and Community-Based Conservation: A Case Study of the Moi Kelim People in Sorong

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_56How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Customary marine tenure; Community-based conservation; Legal pluralism; Blue justice; Moi Kelim

Abstract

This study analyzes the customary marine tenure system and community-based conservation practices among the Moi Kelim people in Sorong, Southwest Papua. The primary focus is the egek system, an indigenous mechanism that regulates fishing zones, seasonal bans, and marine rituals as a form of ecological and spiritual governance passed down through generations. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach and policy analysis, the research examines the structure of customary institutions, the effectiveness of conservation practices, and the interaction between customary authorities and state policies in coastal governance. The findings reveal that the egek system plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance while reinforcing the social identity of the Moi Kelim community. Customary rules implemented through clan deliberations and social monitoring have proven effective in preventing overexploitation of marine resources without bureaucratic intervention. However, the interaction with state policies often generates epistemic tension between administrative rationality and the ecological morality of indigenous communities. Legal recognition through co-management represents a strategic step forward, yet the sustainability of this system depends on establishing an equitable synergy between customary law and state regulation. The study underscores the importance of recognizing local knowledge and ecological spirituality as fundamental pillars for achieving blue justice and sustainable marine governance in Indonesia.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Dian Elisabeth Rahayaan
AU  - Gita Susanti
AU  - Nuralamsyah Ismail
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/13
TI  - Customary Marine Tenure and Community-Based Conservation: A Case Study of the Moi Kelim People in Sorong
BT  - Proceedings of the World Conference on Governance and Social Sciences 2025 (WCGSS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 825
EP  - 836
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_56
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_56
ID  - Rahayaan2026
ER  -