Understanding Sidat
Eels or Sidat in Indonesian language is such a peculiar fish, attracting both scientists and culinary enthusiasts. Taxonomically, eels belong to the order Anguilliformes with a catadromous life cycle, in which they have a larval life phase to adulthood in freshwater or estuaries, then breed in the deep ocean.
Not much is known about eels’ life cycle beneath the ocean, therefore human has yet to be able to breed them in aquaculture ponds. Hence, eel cultivation activities are still very dependent on the availability of glass eels in nature.
From a culinary perspective, eel is a highly prized commodity, especially in the Japanese market. Not only tasty, eel also has a high nutritional content. As presented during Ministry of Marine Affair and Fisheries’ National Workshop on Eel Data and Information last May, eel has 15,000 IU/100 grams of Vitamin A. The amount is higher than vitamin A content of butter which is only 1,900 IU/100 grams. Eel DHA content is about 1,337 mg/100grams, more than salmon and mackerel—820 mg/100 grams and 748 mg/100 grams, respectively. Meanwhile, the EPA content of eel reaches 742 mg/100 grams, far above salmon (492 mg/100 grams) and mackerel (409 mg/100 grams).
Since the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) included in the CITES appendix II list and imposed restriction for the use of Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica), the Japanese market has begun to supply eel from new sources, including Indonesia. With nine of the twenty species of eels in the world available in its waters, Indonesia has the potential to be the leading exporter of eels to Japan. Here eels can be found from the west coast of Sumatra, the south coast of Java, Bali, NTT, East Kalimantan, Sulawesi, to Maluku and Papua.
Data from the area showed that the eel population in the wild has been in decline, due to the threats of unsustainable capture fishery practices; inadequate aquaculture technique; habitat fragmentation due to the unavailability of fishways in dams; deforestation and habitat degradation in the watershed; industrial, agricultural, and mining waste, as well as the impact of sand and rock extraction.
Therefore, the FAO-IFish project supports the efforts made by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, one of which is by the Directorate of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation in preparing the National Action Plan for Eel. The document contains cross-sectoral strategies and action plans at both national and local levels. The efforts made are starting to bear fruit with the existence of limited protection status based on a certain period of time, size, and life phase of eels as outlined in the Decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Number 80 of 2020 concerning Limited Protection of Eel (Anguilla sp.).
Moreover, the IFish project also collaborates directly with local governments and stakeholders in Cilacap and Sukabumi Districts via demonstration activities and facilitations. Some assistances that have been carried out include demonstration activities in Kampung Sidat Kaliwungu, Balai Benih Ikan (BBI) Tonjong and Majenang. These efforts are made to support the sustainable use of eels, to increase provision of ecosystem goods and services, as well as to strengthen food security for local people dependent on eel fisheries for their livelihoods.