the fishing boats are harboured. He is also responsible to settle disputes and conflicts at lhôk level. The unsolved conflicts will be promoted to the Chik Laôt in district level. Currently there are 147 Panglima Lhôks. Chik Laôt has authority over a district/city. Historically the highest rank Panglima Laôt, he is responsible to reconcile unsolved conflicts issued by Panglima Lhôk or conflicts involving two lhôks or more. Currently there are 17 Chik Laôts. The recent update of the system is the establishment of provincial Panglima Laôt in the 2002 Panglima Laôt convention. The post is the latest highest rank in the custom. However, his role is only political, mainly maintaining coordination all Panglima Laôts in Aceh as well as represents fishermen interest with provincial and/or national governments. Authority and Territory Previously, Panglima Lhôk was responsible to determine taboo in fishing, prohibition in fishing gear deployment in a certain area, prohibition coastal environmental destruction as well impose penalties against violators. His other roles were determining fishing grounds based on fishing gear, permitting outsiders fishermen to fish within their territory, locating landing sites and boat mooring as well as settling and resolving disputes and conflicts arising from fishing and sharing of the catch. Lately, upon creation of government fisheries offices in district level, Panglima Laôt became merely ‘customary police’. He was only responsible in resolving conflicts among fishermen; however, the custom occupied wide aspects of conflicts, varied from catch sharing to fishnet thievery. He is not authorised to officially make a verdict, although he can practically impose penalty, confiscate fish catch, pass the compensation and prohibit the fishing activity. It makes custom enforcement weak by the law. Consequently, he needs to coordinate with the Geuchik (village head) and Imum Mukim (sub district head) in resolving disputes and conflicts since his authority may superimpose the authority of gampong (village) or mukim (sub district). The custom is neither in writing nor well-documented and applied exclusively in marine capture fisheries. Territorial boundaries between two or more lhôks are vague and can be expanded borderless toward horizons. While conflict occurred in offshore fishing area, it was not easy to settle the case because it is beyond its territory. Panglima Laôt only authorises fishing right, not license, within the lhôk after discussion with Geuchik or Imum Mukim to prevent conflicts. Fishing rights given to certain groups were not automatically designated to certain fishing plots. It would only