This report covers the results of the marine surveys done in Indonesia from 9 April to 1 May 1980. The Mission was undertaken upon the request of the Directorate General of Fisheries to FAO/UNDP South China Sea Fisheries Development and Coordinating Programme (SCSP), based in Manila, Philippines, for technical assistance in the development of sea farming, especially for seaweed resources in that country.
The main objectives of the trip were to identify suitable sites for the sea farming projects particularly for seaweed culture in selected provinces and to formulate resource development programme for the government.
A brief review of the work done in Indonesia shows very limited information on both the basic and practical aspects of seaweed research and development. According to Doty (1977), information on the habitats or ecology of Eucheuma as well as sites suitable for its production is very meager. Recent works on Eucheuma culture are only on the initial stage and concern mostly the introduction and feasibility studies on E. spinosum in some areas (Mubarak, 1975, 1976, 1980; Soegiarto, 1977), as well as limited survey work on potential sites for farming purposes (Mubarak, 1974, 1978). Although a programme on seaweed farming for the Aru Islands, Mollucas province, has been initiated in 1979, its implementation is only at its initial stage and thus, commercial farming in the area has not really been started.
