Coastal Ulama Ijtihād and Destructive Fishing Prevention in Indonesia

Indonesia has large fisheries and marine resources. However, most of Indonesia's marine ecosystems are still under threat. One of them is the coast of Lamongan. The damage is caused by destructive fishing using destructive gears such as tiger trawls, cantrang (a modified Danish seine), explosives, and others. Government regulations to prevent those activities have not been effective. Therefore, alternative approaches are needed. One approach to be chosen is the Islamic law approach. Because the Lamongan coastal community has a strong Islamic culture, the Islamic view of destructive fishing is expected to offer a better alternative solution. Therefore, this article examines the ecological ijtihād of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah ulama in Lamongan. This is empirical legal research, with data from focused-group discussions and in-depth interviews. The study finds that the NU Ulama had issued a fatwa through Bahtsul Masail, stating that preserving marine ecology is the obligation of every Muslim and destructive fishing is prohibited. Meanwhile, Muhammadiyah ulama have not issued fatwas institutionally. Nonetheless, the fatwa of the two communities has become a reinforcement for government policies in preventing marine ecosystems damage through eco-fishing.