Aquaculture Fish OneSolutions to Over fishing Crisis

Aquaculture Fish OneSolutions to Over fishing Crisis

A study titled "The Sunken Billions: the Economic Justification for Fisheries Reform" conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO) and World Bank, which was published late in 2008 said, the world suffered a loss of about $ 50 billion each year in the marine fisheries sector (fishing catch) due to bad management, inefficiency, and excess fishing (over fishing).

The report warned, if properly managed marine fisheries, the loss can be reversed into economic benefits for the continuation of the lives of millions of fishermen and coastal communities.

The main cause of loss is the decline of fish stocks. According to FAO, more than 75 percent of world fish stocks are fully exploited (full fishing) or even over-exploited (over fishing). FAO Evaluation results based on the ratio of the potential sustainable production with MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield) or the ratio of production to MLTAY (Maximum Long-Term Average Yield), from 16 territorial waters of the sea,

4 areas waters has reached the peak utilization of its resources, 8 other waters have been exploited around more than 70 percent, while 4 other waters have been used between 10-50 percent.

FAO studies also reveal that the world fish production tends to be stable or increasing with a very small percentage, about 1.5 percent per year over the last five years. Production of fishery products from marine capture events precisely show symptoms began to decline, from 84.7 million tons in 1994 to 84.1 million tons in 1999.

Increased fish production occurred in the early 2000s, but production declined again in the mid 2000s. The stability of world fish production is more due to the positive contribution of aquaculture activities (aquaculture) increased about 10 percent per year in 1994-1999, from approximately 20.8 million tons in 1994 to 32.9 million tons in 1999 and the year 2007 has reached 52 million tons.

FAO and the World Bank's forecast of losses that reached $ 50 billion is lost each year is a conservative forecast. That does not include fishing for recreation and tourism, as well as losses due to theft or illegal fishing.

Whereas coastal countries such as Indonesia, did not have enough fleet to guard its waters. These conditions are then used by companies big fish to catch fish on a large scale and illegal without regard to the balance of the ecosystem.

What about Indonesia?

Results of evaluation of FAO in 2000 against 16 waters by using indicators MSY and MLTAY show that four territorial waters have reached the peak utilization of its resources. The four territorial waters including the waters with area code 71 and 57 the Central Western Pacific (Western Central Pacific) and Eastern Indian Ocean (Eastern Indian Ocean).

Areas with codes 71 and 57 are the territorial waters of Indonesia, and Pacific Southwest (Southwest Pacific) with area code 81 and the Pacific Northwest (Nortwest Pacific) with area code 61.
Based on this evaluation FAO, can be said that the world's fish resources have tended to be utilized fully.

Special to the territorial waters with code 71 and 57 in the aggregate has reached the peak utilization. The area west and south of Indonesia is the territorial waters with code 71, while the area east and north of Indonesia is the territorial waters with code 57. The meaning of the results of this evaluation for Indonesia is that the future development of capture fisheries can not be expanded again as in previous years.

The description of the status of fish resources at the global or regional level is not different from the results of research on this subject conducted in the homeland. Production of Indonesia's marine fish catches in 2004 has reached 4 million tons or about 63 percent of MSY estimates about 6.4 million tons.

From this national aggregate production data, it appears that fish production is still below the potential resources that can be utilized. However, if the starting measuring MSY but not TAC (total allowable Catch) is estimated at 5 million tons, it is actually at the end of 1999 Indonesia's marine fish resources have been used about 74 percent of the available potential.

In 2008 the national fishery production reached 8.6 million tons. Production reached 3.5 million tons of aquaculture and capture fisheries amounted to 5.1 million tonnes. The contribution of capture fisheries amounted to 5.1 million tons means about 83 percent of Indonesia's marine fisheries have been exploited if starting the measuring is MSY.

But if you use the TAC estimates Indonesia's marine fisheries have experienced excess catch.

The condition that Indonesia's marine fishery resources have been utilized in full can also be seen from the composition of fish caught. Fish that are lower-priced and lower rank in the food chain (food chain) dominated the composition of fish production. The most obvious indicator on lately is the emergence of the jellyfish as a kind of high marine biological production.

The appearance of the jellyfish in large quantity at a waterfront, more than usual, often fooling the fishermen as a new potential to be exploited. Yet biologically, boom (abundance) of his jellyfish is an indicator that the predators,

ie the fish are larger and higher rank in the food chain, has reduced the population is being subjected to arrest and target fishermen. Looking at these indications, in fact Indonesia's marine waters with fish resources has been in critical condition (Nikijuluw, 2002).

Switch to Aquaculture

The fact is "forcing" the countries in the world, including Indonesia, to increase fish production through aquaculture activities. In 2007, world fishery production reached 143 million tons, consisting of 91 million tonnes comes from fishing activities and 52 million tonnes from aquaculture business.

This means, the contribution of aquaculture to world fisheries production has reached about 36 percent. Fisheries production from aquaculture activities is expected to continue rising in tandem capture fisheries production decreased tendency.

In Indonesia, in 2008 the national fishery production reached 8.6 million tons. Production reached 3.5 million tons of aquaculture and capture fisheries amounted to 5.1 million tonnes. Aquaculture production increased by 10.59 percent compared to 2007 amounting to 3.19 million tonnes. Of aquaculture production of 3.5 million tons, production of fish and shrimp at 1.3 million tonnes, the rest of the seaweed by 2.2 million tons.

With that big fish production, Indonesia is the fifth of the world as one of the major fish producing countries. Production of it is still very low compared to potential production reached 65 million tons / year, consisting of 7.3 million tons of capture fisheries (6.4 million tons of marine fisheries and 0.9 million tons of fish public waters) and 57.7 million tonnes came from aquaculture (cultivation of marine, brackish / ponds and open water / fresh water).

And of existing aquaculture potential (57.7 million tons / year), mariculture (marine aquaculture) has the highest production potential which reached 47 million tons / year, whereas for rearing ponds or brackish water (brackishwater aquaculture) and freshwater aquaculture (freshwater aquaculture), each for 5 million tons / year and 5.7 million tons / year.

In addition to aquaculture, one of the ways you need to do is increase the stock (stock enhancement) of marine fish through restoking. In developed countries like the U.S., Japan, China, and European countries akuakulturnya advanced technology, has integrated aquaculture with capture fisheries activities, ie activities in a marine fish restoking.

This activity aims to increase fish stocks in these waters in order to raise the income of the actors capture fisheries (fishing) and conservation of the fish. In this way marine fish stocks can be increased, marine fisheries production increased, habitat and conservation of fish resources, while improving the income of fishermen and fish farmers .***

Posted in: fish production