From Enforcement to Resilience: Evaluating Indonesia's One Roof Enforcement System to Combat Illegal Fishing in the North Natuna Sea

<ns3:p>Background Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the North Natuna Sea represents a complex governance challenge situated at the intersection of geopolitical contestation, transnational economic dynamics, and institutional fragmentation. As a strategically contested maritime space, the region exposes limitations in conventional enforcement-based approaches. Indonesia has responded through the establishment of Task Force 115 under a one roof enforcement system, integrating multiple maritime agencies to strengthen law enforcement. However, the extent to which this approach contributes to long-term maritime resilience remains underexplored. Methods This study adopts a qualitative case study design to evaluate Indonesia’s multi-agency enforcement model. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews with key informants from maritime enforcement institutions, document analysis of regulatory and operational frameworks, and limited participatory observation. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis guided by the OECD policy evaluation framework, encompassing relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability, and interpreted through a maritime resilience perspective. Results The findings show that the one roof enforcement system enhances horizontal coordination, reduces institutional overlap, and strengthens short-term deterrence capacity. This is evidenced by increased vessel apprehensions and a temporary decline in foreign fishing activities during periods of intensified patrol operations. However, policy performance remains highly dependent on resource inputs, including budget allocation, technological support, and political prioritization. While Indonesia demonstrates strong absorptive capacity in responding to maritime violations, adaptive capacity remains limited due to insufficient institutional learning and technological integration, and transformative capacity is constrained by weak incorporation of community-based fisheries governance and broader structural reforms. Conclusions Indonesia’s multi-agency enforcement model constitutes a necessary but insufficient foundation for achieving sustainable maritime resilience. Long-term effectiveness requires a transition from enforcement-centric governance toward adaptive, integrated, and resilience-based policy approaches. Strengthening institutional continuity, technological modernization, cross-sectoral integration, and community engagement is essential to address IUU fishing in contested maritime environments.</ns3:p>