FAO IFish project, MMAF and Cilacap District Government assisted eel cooperatives thrive amid COVID-19 pandemic
Cilacap, 23 December 2021.
Eel fisheries have been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main market for eel (Anguilla sp.)—also known as unagi—is Japan, while domestic demand is very limited. Due to COVID-19, exports to Japan have been hampered so that the demand for eel has decreased drastically.
“The first five months of COVID-19 were the most difficult times for our cooperative, there were no orders at all. We cannot send eels to Japan, many restaurants and hotels in Indonesia are also closed. A number of assets had to be sold,” said Ruddy Sutomo, the pioneer of Koperasi Mina Sidat Bersatu assisted by the FAO-IFish project.
He and his partners had to make various adjustments to survive without compromising the quality of the eels they cultivate. A strong commitment to product quality pays off once COVID-19 restrictions are gradually relaxed. Upscale Japanese restaurants and buyers from Japan are regularly ordering eels again. “We are having hard time to fulfil their request, we don’t have the capacity yet, “said Ruddy. In contrast to other eel businesses that are still struggling to build their business back, the Koperasi Mina Sidat Bersatu has even expanded its business from only supplying live eels, to now being able to process ready-to-eat eels that have been certified by BPOM and halal by MUI.
"Eel is a leading commodity from Cilacap Regency that needs to be continuously developed," said the Head of Cilacap District, Tatto Suwarto Pamuji, at a meeting with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) last Wednesday (22/12). He mentioned many researchers from Japan and aquaculture practitioners came to Cilacap to study eels, both their life cycle and its best fisheries practices.
One of prime locations for learning is Kaliwungu Eel Village, the location of the Koperasi Mina Sidat Bersatu. It is the first demonstration site of the FAO-IFish project on 2020. As a follow-up to the demonstration, MMAF and FAO together with the Cilacap District Government visited Kaliwungu Eel Village on Thursday (23/21) to see the results and gain valuable lesson learned.
"Eel cultivation needs to be carried out in harmony, balancing conservation and production based on technology and science," explained Kusdiantoro, Ad Interim Head of the Research and Human Resources Agency of the MMAF. "We appreciate the ability of cultivator in the Kaliwungu Eel Village to independently concoct their eel feed. In the future, eel experts from the Center for Fisheries Research will also provide assistance to farmers in Cilacap, as we have done with the FAO-IFish project in Sukabumi District.”
The harmony between production and eel conservation efforts highlighted as well by Ad Interim Director General of Marine Spatial Management, Pamuji Lestari. “Eel is one of the commodities whose seeds rely solely on nature stocks. For the cultivation business to continue, conservation values need to be considered. Biggest appreciation to the Regent of Cilacap who has issued a district regulation to set aside 2.5% of cultivated produce to be released back into the wild.”
The restocking activity was part of the joint visit to the Kaliwungu Eel Village. Prior to restocking, the eels will be tagged for future observations. The provision of eels to be released into the wild is part of the cooperative's commitment to preservation of eels in the wild.
Rajendra Aryal, the FAO Representative for Indonesia, conveyed his appreciation for stakeholder’s synergy in sustainable eel fishing activities in Kaliwungu Eel Village. "Special appreciation to Koperasi Mina Sidat Bersatu, a small-scale aquaculture business who are able to develop their business amid pandemic and produce high-quality eel. The ability of Koperasi Mina Sidat Bersatu in formulating specific eel feeds, as well as increasing the survival rate of eels in a critical phase also needs to be a lesson for all of us. Let's take the momentum of the G20 presidency to show the world about sustainable fisheries in Indonesia ”.
FAO's strategic framework supports the 2030 Agenda through transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems: for better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life for all. With financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) the FAO IFish project provides a prime example of FAO's strategic framework implementation through its assistance for small-scale eel fisheries in the Kaliwungu Eel Village.