Fish ball making is one of several trainings given to participants from Mengkatip and Batilap Villages on 9-12 May 2022

Since November 2021, IFish project and South Barito district government conducted Beje fisheries management improvement at demonstration activity sites of Mengkatip and Batilap villages. The improvement aims to align traditional Beje fisheries management with ecosystem approach, based on ecological, social-economy, and good governance principles.

Beje is a trap pond and nursery ground that is formed naturally or artificially in swamps or peatlands nearby large rivers. A natural Beje mostly formed by fallen trees, hence its relatively shallow and narrow characteristic—about 2-3 square meters. Artificial Beje are made by Dayak people in the interior of the forests of Central Kalimantan. Flood from the river on rainy season will flow to the Beje along with some fish. The fish trapped in Beje will be left large by the community to be harvested in the dry season. Some of the fishes are betok/papuyu fish (Anabas testudineus), gabus/haruan (Channa striata), tambakan/biawan (Helostoma temmincki), sepat siam (Trichogas terpectoralis). These fishes provide nutrition and income for the community.

FAO-IFish project and the District Government of South Barito encourages the community to increase Beje fisheries products selling value via innovation. Earlier this May, the counterparts conducted a post-harvest management training for women fisher community. The training aimed to provide the women with ideas to process fish products and better way to market their products. By providing an added value for Beje fisheries products, the counterparts expect the community to get better income, and willing to adhere to ecosystem approach for fisheries management.

This training was held on 9 to 12 May 2022 in Mengkatip Village and Batilap Village.  It was attended by the Food Security, Agriculture and Fisheries office of South Barito; Trade, Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Office of South Barito; as well as heads of villages and 50 participants from Mengkatip and Batilap Villages.

All participants received knowledge and insights related to market prospects for processed fishery products, quality standards, as well as permit applications and procedures in expanding the market for processed fishery products. On this occasion, the participants were also trained to make several processed fishery products which are widely accepted by the market and whose raw materials are widely available, such as fish balls, fish sauce and fish floss.

“This training provides insights and innovation in fish products processing. We have abundant fish resources, with the training given by FAO and Agriculture and Fisheries office of South Barito we can process them first and sell the products with a more stable price,” expressed Muriyah after the training. She and other fellow women fishers are FAO-IFish project beneficiaries, as the project is committed to leave no one behind and provide women with equal access to employment and income.

Counterparts from South Barito district government provided materials and practices during the training. Muhammad Ikhsan from the Trade, Cooperatives, and Small and Medium Enterprises Office provide materials on quality standards, market potential, supply chain, and permit applications. Mustakim and team from the Agriculture and Fisheries Office provided demonstration and training to make fish ball, fish floss, and fish sauce, along with packaging and labelling technique.

At the end of the training, the fishing communities conveyed their appreciation to the counterparts for the effort to increase women fisher knowledge on post-harvest activities, value-added fish products and ecosystem approach to fisheries management.