Fisheries production in Indonesia is not yet optimal. For example, between 2003 and 2007, capture fisheries production increased by an average of only 1.32%, namely from 4,691,796 tons in 2003 to 4,942,430 tons in 2007. The highest increase was dominated by marine fishing, which was from 4,383,103 tons in 2003 to 4,647,730 tons in 2007. Conversely, public water fisheries production decreased from 308,693 tons in 2003 to 294,700 tons in 2007.
There are several things that cause the suboptimal or decreasing production in the fisheries sector in Indonesia. First, most of our fishermen are traditional fishermen who use traditional fishing technology so the results obtained are low. Second, the utilization of fish stocks between regions is not yet balanced because the Malacca Strait, the northern coast of Java, the Bali Strait, and the Sulawesi Strait experience overfishing, while the utilization of fish stocks in the eastern part of Indonesia is not yet optimal. Third, marine ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, coral reefs, and seagrass beds as habitats for fish and marine organisms where fish usually spawn, forage, and grow, have suffered severe damage.
Besides that, the productivity of aquaculture businesses is also not yet optimal. The knowledge of farmers and fishermen regarding aquaculture technology is still low, for example in the selection of broodstock, spawning, hatching, fertilization, larval rearing, nursery, and grow-out. There is also a lack of fisheries extension workers, so technological innovation is difficult to improve. Regarding land use, the clash between aquaculture businesses and other development activities (such as settlements, industry, and mining) often harms aquaculture businesses, including the deterioration of water quality. Industrial, agricultural, and household activities often dispose of waste into nature without paying attention to the threshold of wastewater quality standards, thereby worsening water quality for fish farming.
What is highly necessary to maximize fisheries production in Indonesia is ...