Revisiting Indonesia’s governance and conservation of cetaceans

Summary: Over the past few decades, Indonesia’s marine conservation governance has been criticized. This article analyzes the overlaps and gaps in domestic law and policy regimes for cetaceans or marine mammal management and examines issues of institutional arrangements and legal frameworks related to cetacean conservation in Indonesia. The legal framework’s progress on cetacean governance shows three distinct phases: 1975–1985 (species-focused governance approach), 1990–2009 (area-based approach), and 2010–present (broader marine governance approach). This study reveals that the main shortcoming of the legal framework is unclear mandates and overlapping jurisdictions. This study suggests several urgent policies that should be accommodated in the current legal regime to strengthen cetacean conservation. In addition, this research also recommends creating a collaboration mechanism between institutions and encouraging Indonesia to join as a full member of the International Whaling Commission and the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Convention to strengthen cetacean governance and conservation.