Deploying BRUVS with Fishers in the Aceh Jaya Marine Conservation Area
Updates from the Field | March 2026
Aceh Jaya, Aceh Province, Indonesia
During January and February, our Aceh team deployed Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS) across the Aceh Jaya Marine Conservation Area (MCA) – completing 150 drops covering approximately 50,000 hectares of some of the most important waters for sharks and rays in the region.Working alongside four local fishers, a researcher and student from Syiah Kuala University, and our KUL Aceh field staff, the survey gathered data on the abundance, diversity and distribution of sharks, rays and reef fish. We are particularly hoping to find evidence of Critically Endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks and bottlenose wedgefish, to support the management planning process for the conservation area.
Why this area matters
The waters off Aceh Jaya sit within the globally recognised West Aceh Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA), one of the most significant habitats for Critically Endangered sharks and rays in Southeast Asia. Species like wedgefish and hammerhead sharks face severe pressure from overfishing, and the Aceh Jaya MCA was established to help protect them. But effective management depends on knowing what lives beneath the surface, where key species are concentrated, and how fishing activity overlaps with critical habitat. That is exactly the kind of evidence BRUVS can provide.BRUVS are underwater camera systems that use bait to attract marine life, allowing us to record species presence, diversity and abundance without catching anything. The data can reveal spatio-temporal hotspots – showing where and when key species are most concentrated – which is the kind of evidence needed to guide decisions on no-take zones, seasonal closures, and gear regulations.
Working together
At KUL, we believe conservation works best when it is built on collaboration and local ownership. This BRUVS deployment was designed that way from the start. Fishers brought their deep knowledge of local waters – identifying the most productive sites and navigating challenging sea conditions – while researchers contributed technical expertise in camera system design and data collection. Most of the logistics and services involved in the survey, from renting boats and constructing the BRUVS rigs to recording field data, directly involved and benefited local fishers.Ilham Fajri, a researcher from Syiah Kuala University involved in the survey, said: “This collaborative approach is important to ensure that research results can truly support sustainable fisheries management. This collaboration not only increases local fishers’ knowledge of marine biodiversity but also provides direct economic benefits to coastal communities. It aligns with KUL’s main objective of protecting endangered marine biodiversity while maintaining or improving the well-being of coastal communities.”
From data to action
The BRUVS data will feed directly into the Marine Conservation Area management planning process that we are actively involved in, working together with the Aceh Jaya Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) and the Panglima Laot – the customary fisheries management institution unique to Aceh Province, whose name translates to ‘Commander of the Sea’.Insyafrizal, Head of the Conservation Section at DKP Aceh Province, said: “The data obtained through the BRUVS method is very useful for informing EVIKA (Evaluation of Conservation Area Management Effectiveness) assessments in our Marine Protected Areas, and broader evidence-based marine spatial planning.”Specifically, the results will help to inform decisions about expanding current no-take zones, developing temporal closures during peak breeding season, and implementing gear-specific or species-specific regulations within the conservation area and as part of Hukom Adat Laot (traditional fisheries management rules) under the Panglima Laot. The BRUVS survey will also be combined with our on-going GPS tracking of fishing vessels and shark catch monitoring data, building an integrated picture of how fishing activity and marine biodiversity intersect across the area.
What’s next
Our team is now reviewing hundreds of hours of BRUVS footage – counting and identifying every species caught on camera, and turning the data into useful metrics on species diversity and abundance across the conservation area.Beyond informing spatial management, these metrics will enable us and DKP to monitor the state of marine biodiversity in Aceh Jaya MCA over time, so we know whether our conservation efforts are working. We also hope to use the baseline data to pilot something we are really excited about: a rewards-for-outcomes approach to marine conservation. The idea is to establish a baseline of shark abundance and diversity, and then issue rewards to coastal communities in which those indicators are maintained or improved. This links conservation outcomes directly to community benefit, creating positive incentives for protecting coastal ecosystems and adopting sustainable fishing practices – and potentially paves the way for innovative financing mechanisms such as emerging marine biodiversity credit schemes.The BRUVS deployment in Aceh Jaya is one example of how we work at KUL: combining local knowledge with scientific monitoring, building partnerships with fishing communities and government, and generating the evidence needed to protect some of the world’s most threatened marine species while supporting the livelihoods of the people who share their waters.
This work was supported by grants from the Shark Conservation Fund and the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) via Bangor University and the UK Darwin Initiative via University of Oxford. KUL also wishes to acknowledge previous grants from the Conservation Finance Alliance and Deakin University, which supported procurement of BRUVS equipment, as well as technical training in BRUVS deployment and data analysis from Dr Samm Sherman and Isabel Black.