Sustainability status of lagoon ecosystem in Ihamahu village, Maluku, Indonesia

Abstract

The coastal area of Ihamahu Village, Maluku, Indonesia consists of three important tropical ecosystems namely, mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef as well as lagoon ecosystem. There are nine lagoons in this area. The biodiversity of the lagoon ecosystem is high which could be utilized by the community to fulfill their needs. The objective of the present study was to analyze the sustainability status of the lagoon ecosystem in Ihamahu Village. Lagoon sustainability status was analyzed by using Rapid Appraisal for Fisheries (RAPFISH) method, a multi-dimensional scale analysis. Lagoon sustainability analysis was performed based on ecological, social, economic, institutional and technological dimensions. The result showed that there were differences concerning the sustainability index for each dimension. According to the sustainability category classification, the ecological dimension belonged to the sustainable category (85.51%) and the social dimension was considered moderate sustain (50.88%). On the contrary, the dimension of the economy (49.81%) and institutional (46.57%) was categorized as less sustain while technological dimension (32.84%) was considered as unsustain in a sustainable management approach context. The recommendations for management guideline were the determination of protected and utilized zone, strengthening village institution, and increasing capability and economy of Ihamahu community.