When the Sea Becomes a Teacher of Sustainability: Sasi laut in Tanimbar

The tradition of Sasi laut in the Tanimbar Islands, Maluku, represents an ecological and spiritual heritage of a maritime society that lives from and within the sea, viewing it as a moral and social space.In this system, the sea is Amid the pressures of globalization, climate change, and coastal exploitation, Sasi functions as a form of indigenous governance, a customary system that binds humans, nature, and belief within an integrated socio-ecological ecosystem.This article explores how Sasi laut operates not only as an indigenous restriction but also as a holistic framework that balances use and preservation.Through an ethnographic approach and theoretical analysis grounded in the concepts of common-pool resources and the blue economy, this research reveals Sasi's role in maintaining biodiversity, strengthening communal solidarity, and fostering collective prosperity.The challenges of modernization call for the integration of traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary marine science so that the people of Tanimbar may continue to "guard the breath of the sea" in the digital era.