“Whaling-off Lamalera?”: environmental justice, political economy and ecology post ocean conservation in Lamalera, Lembata, Indonesia

This paper tells a story about the local dynamics within an artisanal whaling community in Lamalera, Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, after ‘reclaiming’ their territorial waters in response to the Regional Marine protected Zoning proposal Solor Lembata Alor (KKLD Solor Alor Lembata) by Lembata Regent in 2006. Political Economy and Ecology used to see more deeply the relationship between society-state, society-society, and society with nature through their version of environmental justice post-conservation riots in 2007-2010. Ethnographic and qualitative interview methods were conducted to get insights into their context before and after they experienced victory to reclaim their territorial waters.