Commanders of the Sea
How a Tsunami reshaped Ancestral Wisdom with Modern Conservation to Protect Critically Endangered Sharks and Rays
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On Boxing Day 2004, a 30-metre tsunami tore through northern Sumatra, erasing entire villages and sweeping away centuries of inherited maritime knowledge. Nowhere was hit harder than Aceh, where more than 170,000 lives were lost to the wave. Among the dead were hundreds of Panglima Laot, “Commanders of the Sea”, the traditional custodians of Aceh’s coastal waters. For generations, they safeguarded their villages’ patches of ocean through ancestral knowledge and community law. When the tsunami struck, that knowledge was shattered and only fragments remain.ā
Along Aceh’s southwest coast, a new generation of Panglima Laot is rising from the wreckage, rebuilding not just their communities, but their connection to the sea, piecing together fragments of wisdom from the past and reimagining what it means to protect the future.
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Through the NGO Kebersamaan Untuk Lautan (KUL), meaning “Togetherness for the Ocean,” local fishers are reviving ancestral traditions and blending them with modern conservation to protect endangered species and sustain their livelihoods. Their efforts are restoring more than marine ecosystems, they’re rekindling cultural identity and the wisdom that once guided these shores.ā
The story of the Panglima Laot reflects a global challenge: the loss of traditional knowledge that once kept people and nature in balance. In Aceh, that wisdom is finding new life in the hands of young ocean stewards who are reshaping what it means to be a commander of the sea.
Commanders of the Sea is a local story with global resonance — one of resilience, renewal, and the power of cultural memory. It reminds us that the future of ocean conservation depends as much on preserving our heritage as it does on protecting our waters.
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**On going personal Project**
Testimonial
Hollie Booth, Conservation Scientist, University of Oxford & Bangor University, and Co-founder, Kebersamaan Untuk Lautan (KUL)
“Francesca is an exceptionally gifted conservation photographer whose work has had a tangible impact on our NGO’s mission in Indonesia. Her photography combines extraordinary artistic talent with deep ethical sensitivity, and her images have transformed how we communicate, from elevating our scientific publications and media coverage, ultimately helping us to attract global attention and new sources of funding, to deepening our engagement with coastal communities.
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Francesca approaches complex and sensitive topics with rare empathy and integrity, and her storytelling captures the full arc of marine conservation: the urgency, the humanity, and the hope. Her ability to portray both the challenges and the possibilities of ocean conservation is powerful and unique. Her work has already brought KUL to new audiences through international magazines, scientific platforms, and global conservation media at a critical moment for our organisation.
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She is also a joy to collaborate with, kind, enthusiastic, resilient, generous, and always open to new stories and perspectives, even when they challenge her deeply held values (including befriending shark fishers!). Her collaborative spirit and commitment to ethical storytelling have made a meaningful difference not only to our organisation but also to the coastal communities we serve. I feel very lucky to call her both a colleague and a friend.”
For inquiries on past, present and future work, potential collaborations, commissions and other info feel free to reach out at francescapagephoto@gmail.com
