Masterclass (c) FAO/Sudarsono

Bandung – 30 June 2022. Various migratory fish species in Indonesia are threatened with the risk of extinction. Habitat fragmentation due to the presence of various structures across the Indonesian rivers is one of the major causes of the disappearance of a number of high economic value fish specifies in Indonesia.For example, Sidat (Anguilla bicolor), one of Indonesia's premium export commodity fish species, can only breed and spawn in specific locations and any obstruction to their migratory route will prevent them from breeding.

Government of West Java with support of FAO and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has agreed for the construction of fishway to ensure freshwater fish sustainability in West Java. To mainstream fishway concept in government policies, the IFish-FAO project and the West Java Regional Government held a fishway masterclass from 27 to 30 June 2022 in Bandung that engaged several international experts to train stakeholders and practitioners in preparing fishway designs for weir and dam structures.

“Collaboration among institutions is very important in implementing the fishway in Indonesia. The involvement of different entities, such as the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Public Works and Housing, fisheries research institutions, universities, NGOs, local governments, and the community are very much needed in the implementation of the fishway in the field. Through the FAO-implemented IFish project, FAO will continue to mainstream the fishway concept into the policy level,” said Rajendra Aryal, FAO Representative for Indonesia.

Both irrigation and fish availability are important for food security of the local communities. Complexity occurs when certain structures that are crucial to the irrigation system) are built and block the migratory route of some fish species.  The best solution is the construction of fishways on weirs and dams. Weirs with fishway will provide water for agricultural irrigation, as well as provide access for fish. The existence of fishways will support the intake of plant and animal proteins for rural communities, the majority of whom still depend on river fish catches for daily nutrition.

The design currently being developed at Caringin Weir on the Cibareno River, Sukabumi District is a very significant breakthrough in Indonesia as it was made based on periodic hydrological data of the river, migratory fish species, and hydraulic aspects to control the movement of water currents along the fishway.

During his opening remarks in the Fishway Masterclass, Setiawan Wangsaatmaja, Regional Secretary of West Java Province reinstated the importance of fishways for sustainability of fish species and conservation in the province. “West Java has several potential weirs and dams, some of them are connected to Citarum River. Of course, FAO may also look upon them with regards to this fishway program”.

Fishway masterclass is designed with the concept of training of trainers to mainstream the idea of dam design that can meet irrigation needs and support the sustainability of inland fish resources. Agencies that will take part in the training including the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, the Natural Resources Service and agencies from West Java Province and Sukabumi District, the National Research and Innovation Agency, the Association of Indonesian Hydraulic Engineers (HATHI), Poso Energy, Micro Hydro Power Plant (PLTMH), as well as academics and non-governmental organizations.

The principal cause of this training is to prepare potential experts in the field of fisheries and construction to be able to understand the concept and requirements to design ideal fishways that are suitable with the local fish characteristic and geographical condition.

“In the fishway masterclass, we will introduce the basic concepts of fishway or fish passage; preparation of a design that takes into account the ecological, target species, and river hydrological aspects; determine the right type of design according to the location; as well as effective construction process,” said Prof. Lee Baumgartner, an expert from Charles Sturt University of Australia.

Since 2019 the IFish-FAO project and the West Java Regional Government have collaborated to develop a fishway design at the Caringin Weir on the Cibareno River, Sukabumi District. This river is an important habitat for sidat and a number of other high economic value fish species such as tor, boboso and tiger eel. To ensure that the fishway design can accommodate the unique characteristics of local fish species, the IFish project has conducted a time series fish biodiversity and hydrology assessments since December 2021 with the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Affairs, and the West Java Province Water Resources Service.

In the long run, IFish project hopes that fishway can become a mandatory component in every irrigation-related plannings and structures. This is a good way to preserve the fish resources in Indonesian rivers.

About IFish Project

IFISH is a joint project between FAO and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, aiming to mainstream biodiversity conservation and sustainable use into inland fisheries practices in freshwater ecosystems of high conservation value. The project started in 2017, with a three-pronged strategy to combine mainstreaming of inland aquatic biodiversity into resource development and management policy; demonstrations of conservation and sustainable use of inland aquatic biodiversity in critical habitats; and effective monitoring and assessment. IFISH project works in five demonstration areas in Indonesia, targeting high value fish in each district, namely: eel in Java (Cilacap and Sukabumi), arowana and beje fisheries in Kalimantan (South Barito and Kapuas), and belida in Sumatra (Kampar) .

With support from GEF, IFish project has become the largest inland fisheries project in Indonesia. Inland fisheries are generally cultivated by small-scale industries, by communities along the watershed. Therefore, protection of ecosystems and sustainable management of inland fisheries have major impact on enhancing food security and providing livelihood for people who depend on inland aquatic biodiversity.