APPENDIX 6

THE CURRENT STATUS OF SEAFARMING IN INDONESIA.

by

Budiono Martosudarmo

1. INTRODUCTION

Seafarming as referred to those activities of culture of marine organisms in sea water areas like coastal water, intertidal water, open water and seabeds, is still in preliminary stage in Indonesia. Being an archipelagic country, with its 13,000 islands having about 16,000 km coast-lines, the national fisheries production is more dominated by marine fisheries than inland fisheries, (Table 1). This production from marine fishery subsector is particularly come from capture fisheries, while those from culture fishery or seafarming is almost negligible.

Table 1. Fisheries production by subsector of fishery, 1981–1985.

Realizing that increase in production brought about by increase in efforts (fishermen, fishing boats and improved fishing technology) may have adverse effects on the fishery resources, seafarming will be an accessible means to overcome the situation. In addition to maintain the fishery resources, the seafarming can also provide employment opportunity for fisherman families. In order to develop seafarming, the Indonesia Government set out Presidential Decree No. 23 proclaimed on 25 May 1982 (Annex 1), and then followed by Ministerial Decree No. 473 of 8 July 1982. Based on these two Decrees, the Seafarming Development Centre located in Lampung was established in 1983 with its main function is to promote the seafarming through package of technology and mapping of potential seafarming areas.

2. SEAFARMING INSTITUTION

In the Government system fisheries as a whole is under the responsibility of Ministry of Agriculture. Those related to research is handled by the agency of Agriculture Research and Development (AARD) of Ministry of Agriculture whereas those concerned with extension and development is the responsibility of the Directorate General of Fisheries (DGF) of Ministry of Agriculture. The Research Institute of Coastal Aquaculture (RICA) of AARD engaged in mariculture research provide complementary research inputs to the Seafarming Development Center of DGF in support of the seafarming development. Close cooperation is always maintained between those two bodies to optimize the goal of seafarming development (Figure 1).

Seafarming Development Centre (SDC) in Lampung nationally supervise 3 station located at Tanjung Pinang (Riau Island), Lombok and Ambon with their respective areas of development are as follows :

As a relatively new institution, the Seafarming Development Centre manned by 54 staff members where out of these 9 persons are young biologists, 15 persons fishery technicians and the rest are casual laboures. In the implementation of activities, a technical assistance from FAO/ UNDP under the Project Document No. INS/81/008 is granted to the Government. The project is initiated in 1983 with one-year preparatory phase and followed by three-year operation phase. The main inputs of the FAO/ UNDP technical assistance are expertise, equipments, supplies and trainings.

Seafarming Development Centre covers an area of 5,8 Ha and is facilitated with office buildings, small capacity fish hatchery, laboratory, 30-occupant dormitory and staff housing (Figure 3). A number of floating cages with standard size of 3 M × 3 M × 3 M placed in the nearby bay are used for culture experiments.

Figure 1. Seafarming Institution Coordination Chart.

Figure 2 : The Chart of Seafarming Institutions

Figure 3. Seafarming Development Centre Compound

3. STATUS OF SEAFARMING

3.1. FINFISH CULTURE

The status of culture of marine finfish particularly in floating net cages and pens is still in an experimental stage in Indonesia. A number of experiments on the culture of some economically important species such as groupers, seabass, snappers, jacks and siganids were done sporadically in several parts of the country by Goverment institutions. It was found that the main constraints in culture of marine finfish are seed for stocking, feed and postharvest.

Source of seed for culture stocking is solely derived from natural collection by fishermen using traps, hook and line and some times poisons which is not permitted by law. With this way, the seed reguired for culture is not adequate and unpredictable. Therefore, efforts has been made to produce the seed of economically important species artificially. The first successful induced spawning of seabass, Lates calcarifer Bloch in captivity through hormone manipulation was attained recently in April 1987 by Seafarming Development Centre in Lampung. HCG and Puberogen at 250 IU and 50 RU per kg of fish respectively were administered to the male and female fish for the first injection. After 24 hours, the second injection with the dose of 500 IU of HCG and 50 RU of Puberogen per kg of fish was followed and giving a good response to the fish. The eggs fertilized of about 70% and hatched out about 75% in the following day. Less than 1% survival rate was obtained in the larval rearing due to the lack of experience.

Feed also constitutes a major problem in the development of marine fish culture. The main feed used for the culture is generally cheap fish which is obtainable locally. Since some low income people also use this cheap fish as their consumption, so competition in obtaining this staffs is there, particularly during the off season. Considering that the culture of marine fish especially those of carnivorous species require relatively high inputs in term of feed, it appears that this activity of culture may be made possible particularly in the localities with a good market demand such as in Riau archipelago.

Culture of groupers (Epinephelus tauvina, E. malabaricus, Plectropomus leopardus) in floating net cages and pens is commonly practised by islanders in Riau archipelago, Bangka and Belitung Islands. The culture is in general practised as a side line activity and primarily geared by the favorable location of high demand Singapore market for live fish No exact standard of culture is followed by the fish growers since the rate of stocking depend upon the number and the species of fingerlings available. The feed used is in the form of chopped trash fish and the amount varied by the availability of trash fish.

The harvested fish with the size of 600–800 g are most commonly sold in live condition. A live fish transport boat of about 50 tonage renovated from a wooden fishing boat is used for the purpose and rutinely visit the culture sites. Therefore, the time of harvest is most frequently determined by the time of arrival of the visiting transport boat.

3.2. MOLLUSC COLTURE

Mollusc production in Indonesia is largely obtained from natural stock collection and the most important one is blood coskles (Anadara spp.) that is collected from intertidal areas with a depth ranging from 0 to 5 meters. From the data of production of molluscs in 1985 in Table 2, it is shown that the distribution of blood cockles are largely concentrated in the coastal areas of Malacca strait and east of Sumatra, and some others are found in the north of Java, south/ west of Kalimantan, East of Kalimantan and Maluku/Irian Jaya. Cockles are collected by local fisherman by hands, rakes or dredges operated manually or towed by boat.

A simple practise of cockles culture has ever been done by fishermen at Mauk (west Java) for several years (1950–1969) but then discontinued due to the lack of seed. The practise involved gathering the seed and broadcasting it on the seabeds. The production obtained was reported to be 5 ton/ Ha/ Year averagely. But up to the present, no information reported on the con tinuation of the culture in those areas nor else where in Indonesia.

Regarding the green mussels, Mytilus viridis, the culture has ever been introduced in 1978 by Research Institute of Coastal Aquaculture in Serang. It was reported that the growth of mussels averagely was 1 cm/ month and no different in growth rate in the different depth of culture. The production of about 100 ton/ Ha/ 6 months was reported in Jakarta Bay (Ancol) with meat and total weight ration of 34% using bamboo stake method. The promotion of culture of green mussels was hampered by the bad image of some people after introducing the mussels harvested from polluted Jakarta Bay. A proper site se lection for culture of green mussels is extreemly necessary in this regards to produce a good quality of the products in term of health aspects.

Source : Fisheries Statistics of Indonesia, 1985

3.3. SEAWEED CULTURE

Seaweed has long been known by coastal communities of Indonesia to be used for salads, mixture of traditional cakes and sometimes for medicines. Most of the production of seweed are harvested from natural resources. Only since 1983 when there was a good demand of seaweed for export as a raw materials of carrageenan extraction, its culture predominantly the species of Eucheuma spinosum commenced to develop particularly in Bali waters. Within two years after introducing the seaweed culture in those areas and the vicinity the production increase significantly from 9,607 ton to 62,974 ton (Table 3).

From the production of seaweed in 1985 shown in Table 4 the distribution of seaweed are in the areas of West Sumatra, South Java, North Java, Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi and Maluku/ Irian Jaya. It is also shown in Table 4 that Nusa Tenggara give the highest share in the production of seaweed in 1985 which likely come from culture.

The culture of seaweed, Eucheuma spp. in Bali and its vicinity is essentially adopting off-bottom method. The method is quite suitable for Bali coastal waters where a vast sloping shore with shallow water of less than 50 cm during low tide is found. Nylon strings of about 5 m in length and tied on bamboo poles 15–20 cm above the sandbed are used for culture by hanging the seaweed at 20–25 cm interval. One unit of 650 strings can yield at about 400 kg dry weight per month.

While those in Lombok areas with relatively deeper water, floating method using simple bamboo rafts is more popular to the local people. The raft have measurement of 3 × 8 m in average. Nylon strings tied across the bamboo raft are used for hanging the seaweed to grow with a bunch interval of about 20 cm. Each raft may produce about 150 kg wet weight per month.

The activities of seaweed culture in Bali, Lombok and its vicinities are majority carried out by fisherman wives and children as their side lines. It seems that there is no problem so far in the technology of seaweed culture, but a serious attention should be paid in the post-harvest side. Some of the seaweed harvested by the farmers still contain high degree of impurities and have to be recleaned before packing for export. In addition to this a semirefined plant should be thought of to support the production in the country.

Source : Fisheries Statistics of Indonesia, 1985.

Source : Fisheries Statistics of Indonesia, 1985.

4. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

To support the development of economically important marine finfish cultures, particularly the species of Lates calcarifer, Epinephelus spp., Lutjanus spp, and Siganus spp., fish seed supply through hatchery production and from natural collection should be developed. The success of induced spawning of seabass in the hatchery recently need to be improved further to obtain higher survival rate of the larvae. The same success was also attained this year by Research Station of Coastal Aquaculture, Serang on the grouper, Epinephelus tauvina. The availability of thisparticular species need to be paid into attention realizing that it is time consuming to produce sufficient size of broodstock from the culture stocks.

In the case of mollusc culture, a pilot farm of cockle culture required to be introduced primarily in the cockle collecting areas itself in order to maintain natural stock of the cockle in the areas and to sustain the already established cockle market. To support the idea survey of seed areas should be initiated. Regarding to the green mussel culture, promotion and extension on consuming mussels as one of the animal protein source is necessary with an addition that the mussels need to be depurated before being introduced to the people. While those of oysters, suitable genuine species for culture in term of vast growing and relatively big size species is being sought of by the research stations.

A new species of seaweed, Eucheuma cottonii, has being introduced by private firms solely in Nusa Tenggara areas and it appears that the growth is encouraging. Whereas in the South Sulawesi province, Gracillaria sp. is cultured in the barckishwater ponds. With the water depth of about 40 cm and the salinity ranging from 15 to 20 ppt the seaweed can grow well and produce in average 3 ton wet weight per Ha per month. Most of the production are exported directly by the firm to Japan.