Rifki Furqan

• Local fishers have historically been subjected to the detrimental effects of overfishing, a consequence of open access practices that are likely to persist in the coming decades. The open-access nature of many fisheries is a significant driver of overfishing, which poses a substantial threat to marine ecosystems and their livelihoods that depend on them. The concept of common property theory provides a theoretical framework that can be used to explain the phenomenon of overfishing due to open access practices. Fishery resources are regarded as examples of a common property, implying that these resources belong to all fishers. This assumption gives rise to intense competition among fishers to exploit the fishery resources. One potential solution to this problem is to establish a territorial use rights system (TURF) that would prevent open-access practices. This thesis argues that all relevant stakeholders in small-scale fisheries management should prioritize environmental stewardship, regardless of the system used to address the overfishing problem caused by open-access practices, as this constitutes a principal factor in determining sustainability. This perspective is particularly relevant in the context of TURF implementation as numerous studies have demonstrated that TURF is an effective means of fostering stewardship. This thesis presents a collection of three studies that address the two primary topics of TURF and stewardship. While this thesis is primarily based on a case study of TURF implementation and stewardship actions (fishing logbook) in Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia, I hope that the resulting publications will serve as additional references and contribute to the global discussion on TURF and stewardship.