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Indonesia is one of the top five aquaculture-producing countries globally and the second largest plastic polluter after China. In Indonesia, and in the wider Southeast Asia, aquaculture plays a crucial role in supporting socio-economic development of coastal communities. Nonetheless, increasing environmental and societal pressures stemming from the rapid expansion of the sector call for more sustainable production practices and the promotion of marine stewardship.During a previous Cefas-led project in Southeast Asia, two sources of environmental and social pressures from aquaculture activities emerged as relevant to the wider region: the abundant use of plastic materials and the overlooked role of women. Therefore, we plan to propose a full Darwin project aimed at developing, together with coastal communities, best-practice guidelines on innovative practical approaches fostering the sustainability of aquaculture activities. The guidelines would contribute towards encouraging and empowering coastal communities, women especially, to take more control over the preservation of natural resources by monitoring and minimising the use and impact of plastic materials. It is anticipated that promoting such community environmental stewardship will contribute in the long term to the sustainable and inclusive development of coastal communities. In addition, we expect that the guidelines will inform policy makers within the Ministry of Maritime Affairs in Indonesia, as well as other relevant departments, on best strategies to tackle plastic pollution caused by aquaculture and could also be adapted to other South East Asian countries, thus promoting sustainable aquaculture practices across the wider region.