Overview
Santa Mervien Alexandra (Vien) is a fisheries and ocean governance professional and PhD researcher at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS). Her research focuses on fisheries governance, particularly Indonesia’s engagement with the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), and explores the connections between small-scale fisheries, national governance systems, and regional fisheries management. She holds a Master’s degree in Marine and Fisheries Science from the University of Hamburg and has previously worked at Germany’s Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), Statista, The Outlaw Ocean Project, and Indonesia’s Presidential Task Force to Combat IUU Fishing. She has also participated in international fisheries and ocean governance forums and serves as a trustee of the Sustainable Fisheries and Communities Trust (SFACT).
Having grown up and worked in both Indonesia and Germany, including within their respective government sectors, Vien brings a distinctive cross-cultural perspective to her work. She is fluent in Indonesian, German, and English, and has undertaken advanced training in ocean law and policy through the Rhodes Academy and IFLOS. Beyond her research, Vien is particularly interested in advancing more inclusive and equitable approaches to ocean governance, with a focus on decolonisation, power and representation, small-scale fisheries, and the experiences and participation of diverse coastal communities.