Building Coastal Resilience: Kiwa Initiative Supports Sustainable Fisheries in Timor-Leste
In 2022, Blue Ventures Conservation together with the Kiwa Initiative set out to help fishing villages in Timor-Leste protect and sustainably manage ocean and coastal ecosystems, including coral reef systems, seagrass and mangrove forests. Over the next few years, the partnership launched Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) using customary 'Tara Bandu' law, established mangrove nurseries and supported afforestation work, placing local communities at the heart of conservation efforts.
Bringing together key organisations, action groups, community leaders, and fishers, the project ensured a community-based approach to marine conservation and fisheries management, building the resilience of local livelihoods and vulnerable ecosystems. While the project ended in March 2026, the mission continues through strengthening the sustainability of project outcomes.
Blue Ventures worked with local organisation, Konservasaun Flora no Fauna (KFF) to establish two Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) in Ilimano and Hera along the northern coast of Timor-Leste back in 2024 through the customary ‘Tara Bandu’ law and ‘Tara Bandu’ ceremonies.
‘Tara Bandu’ is a traditional Timorese practice that regulates resource use, fishing practices, conservation and social norms within communities. Both LMMAs cover over 1600 total hectares and are governed by strict rules that prohibit extractive practices, such as spearfishing and illegal fishing and restricts access to demarcated coastal or ocean waters.
Ilimano villages of Lian-Lidu, Behau and Marmer, enforced a five-year closure to safeguard overfishing hotspots along their coastlines.
Signboard at Hera site, Timor-Leste. Jeshly Ram © Kiwa Initiative - June 2026
Community-led fisheries management
The process to initiate and implement the LMMA structure involved significant community participation. Consultations with fishers, gleaners, community leaders and fisheries agencies through fruitful discussions, development of governance rules, and launch ceremonies, shaped the structure of the LMMAs and locally led marine management measures to ensure governance and conservation efforts were inclusive and informed by local voices. The project received widespread support from the communities involved.
Sustainable fishing measures were then implemented while traditional community leaders oversaw local enforcement practices and community compliance, from handling complaints and resolving resource disputes, to imposing sanctions on offenders, implementing a traditional reconciliation process, and escalating complaints to relevant Timor-Leste authorities.
This community-based approach also featured female-led monitoring activities. Known as ‘Grupo Monitorizasaun Peskas’ (GMP), this all-women volunteer fisheries monitoring group frequented project sites to collect and analyse fisheries-related data for LMMA decision making and to support consultations. The data typically covered catch weight, prices and species of fish and was stored in a dashboard for internal reporting with Blue Ventures.
Mangrove restoration
In Hera, mangroves situated along the coastline benefitted from targeted, community-led afforestation and clean-up activities. Mangrove ecosystems are home to various mangrove, fish, crab and bird species. They act as a strong barrier against intense storm surges and support local livelihoods and food needs.
KFF helped protect, rehabilitate and monitor these habitats, through mangrove zones and nurseries, all guided by a formal mangrove conservation agreement. Ten afforestation events were held, with 31,300 mangrove seedlings planted – more than the initial target. Meanwhile, beach clean-ups cleared 1,159 kgs of waste.
The KFF Mangrove Study Centre in Hera, run by local volunteers as a dedicated mangrove conservation and education hub, was finally connected to mainline electricity while educational panels were installed on the site.
Mangrove nursery and afforestation site in Hera, Timor-Leste. Jeshly Ram © Kiwa Initiative - June 2026
Future outlook
Community-backed NbS approaches such as locally managed marine areas across the project sites in Timor-Leste have produced meaningful and transformative changes within a few short years.
But with the project and Kiwa funding complete, the focus now shifts to the sustainability of the LMMAs, including securing alternative financing and partner support to meet future administrative and technical needs.
Continuation costs and donor funding for 2026-2029 are set to be evaluated along with small-scale revenue generation through the local USD 1 per person entry-fee system.
Going forward, fisheries data collection and monitoring will continue to be prioritised while Blue Ventures considers sharing this important information with local communities to strengthen awareness, community learning and enforcement practices.
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About Kiwa Initiative
The Kiwa Initiative - Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Resilience aims to build the resilience of Pacific Island ecosystems, communities, and economies to climate change through NbS by protecting, sustainably managing and restoring biodiversity. It is based on simplified access to funding for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation actions for local and national governments, civil society, and regional organizations in Pacific
Island Countries and Territories.
The Blue Ventures project was implemented with the financial support of the European Union, Agence Française de Développement, Global Affairs Canada, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as part of the of the Kiwa Initiative framework.
The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of IUCN and does not reflect the views of the donors.
