Bali Ocean Days 2026: From Exhibition to Promoting the Livelihood of Bendega

_{by Muhammad Alzaki Tristi | translated by M. A. Indira Prameswari}

MDPI participated in the annual Bali Ocean Days 2026 to move upon regenerative ocean. We operated both as an exhibitor and a key speaker, highlighting the critical role of Indonesia’s traditional coastal communities, from January 30–31 at the InterContinental Bali Resort.

This year’s theme, “Navigating Solutions for a Regenerative Ocean Future”, cohorts of scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders gather to create sustainable solutions that aim beyond grassroots level.

A Hub for Interchanging Ideas and Contributions

Beyond the speaker’s podium, MDPI used its exhibition space as a dynamic hub for engagement. Attendees moved, interacted, and shared insights on sustainable, small-scale fisheries.

The hub also introduced a range of products available for adoption with profit funnel into supporting indigenous Bendega community in Bali. This initiative is specifically designed to fortify the capacity of traditional fishers as defenders of Bali’s marine ecosystems.

Working with Coastal Grassroots Communities

For MDPI, the mission is encapsulated in the tagline “Happy People, Many Fish.” As we operate across eight Indonesian provinces, we put most of our focus on-the-ground implementation. Nearly half of MDPI’s staff live and work directly within fishing villages, serving as an advantage.

“If solutions never truly reach the fishers who touch the sea every day, whose future are we actually regenerating?” asked MDPI Director Yasmine ‘Jaz’ Simbolon during the Showcase Exhibitors Presentations.

Jaz emphasized that for sustainability to work, it must be communicated in the practical, everyday language of the coastal communities. This approach forms the foundation of their work in Karangasem District in Bali, where MDPI has spent the last five years embedding itself in the villages of Antiga and Seraya Timur.

The Overlooked Ocean Defenders Bendega in Karangasem

MDPI used the momentum to push institutionalization of Bali’s indigenous fishing community called Bendega. We began our work with data collection  needed for fair and effective fisheries management, and continued to community development.

Bendega refers to traditional Balinese coastal communities.  They hold firmly onto Tri Hita Karana philosophy: the harmony between humans, nature, and the spiritual realm. They serve traditional and economic roles, with most are small-scale fishers. While they catch neritic tuna (locally known as tongkol), their own economic security remains precarious.

Bendega face a cocktail of modern challenges. For instance, in MDPI working sites Antiga and Tukad Tiis Village, Bendega face climate change, volatile daily prices, and a long supply chain. Perhaps most pressingly, fishing grounds increasingly overlap with busy tourism routes and commercial shipping lanes.

Read also: MDPI’s Proposes Solutions for Indonesia’s small-scale Fisheries Before the House of Representatives

Bridging Policy to Practice, Reliving Bendega to Safety

MDPI is now working with village leaders and provincial authorities to turn these legal protections into reality. The aim is to support an inclusive fisheries co-management in Bali.

At first, we assisted fishers with vessel registration for legal recognition. Later as demand for development grew, we began providing training in good fish handling, safety at sea protocols, and financial literacy “Si Keong Nelayan”.

Per 2025, MDPI and Government of Bali started to reach further into formally institutionalizing these traditional communities, to legally armor them from vulnerable conditions. These initiatives align with the local regulation. Bali passed Regional Regulation No. 11 in 2017 to protect the Bendega as a socio-cultural and economic community. 

The ultimate goal is to elevate the Bendega to the same level of institutional position as the Subak—Bali’s UNESCO-recognized traditional irrigation system. If successful, they will have a seat at the table in coastal governance and access to village-level funding.

A Call for Collaboration

The presence of MDPI at Bali Ocean Days also served for our mission in fundraising and awareness raising. Addressing the common perception of Bali as a fully developed province, MDPI noted that funding for local programs remains a challenge, as the struggles of rural coastal villages are often masked by the island’s tourism wealth.

MDPI looks toward a future where local leadership can sustain these systems independently. Simbolon offered a final reminder to the forum’s international delegates: “If you cannot take a big action yet, remember that even small actions matter.”