Dynamic Interactions and Governance Capabilities of State and Non‐State Actors in Small‐Scale Tuna Fishery Certification in Indonesia

ABSTRACT Private sustainability fisheries certification has become increasingly popular over the past years as a new form of governance for fisheries in developing countries. The certification scheme is very promising because it offers benefits through market‐based incentives, including market access, social benefits by empowering fishers, and environmental impacts on sustainability. The process can introduce new actors and relationships into a governance landscape that often falls outside the conventional governance model. However, there is still relatively little information about the interplay between the state, certification, market, community, and other actors within the landscape. In this study, we use a case study of Fair Trade USA small‐scale tuna fishery certification in Indonesia to explore the impact of certification on the governance landscape of small‐scale tuna fishery and the governance capabilities of key stakeholders in promoting sustainability. We found that hybrid governance between state and private certification through informal interactions is promising for promoting sustainability beyond certification. Effective implementation requires strong governance capabilities, with an NGO acting as a bridging institution through a formal and legitimate collaborative arrangement. However, this mode of governance is challenging when the key stakeholders, aside from those certified, cannot contest their roles over time.