SECTION 9 ARTISANAL FISHERIES IN THE WAKATOBI AND THE USE OF FISH AGGREGATING DEVICES

This section contains a report on the use of Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD’s) or rompongs in the Wakatobi over the whole season to October 2000 (9.2). In addition the summary of a dissertation concentrating on the comparative effects of gill netting on the reefs and around rompongs which was completed earlier in the season is also included (9.3).

9.2 FISHING AROUND ROMPONGS (FADS) IN SAMPELA AND A COMPARISON WITH THE TRADITIONAL ARTISANAL REEF FISHERY IN TERMS OF ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

With rapid population growth and development of the lucrative live-food restaurant fish trade in south-east Asia, reefs have been placed under increasing pressure both from concentration of activities and the introduction of destructive fishing techniques such as blast and cyanide fishing. There is therefore a need to develop sustainable alternatives which still yield fish to be sold, but do not contribute to coral reef degradation or ecosystem shifts, and ideally on the local scale as community-based coastal resource management has proved successful elsewhere in south-east Asia, notably the Philippines.

Rompongs are one example of community-based coastal resource management employed by the Bajo sea gypsies in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, south-east Sulawesi. These Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs) consist of bamboo platforms with vegetation suspended beneath the waterline, and function by congregating pelagic fish when anchored in deep water. Their faster growth and reproduction rates mean a greater quantity can be sustainably harvested than slower growing reef species. The aim of this study was to assess the ecological and economic feasibility of the rompong fishery in comparison with the traditional reef fishery. This entailed analysing length frequency of the target genus, Decapterus, a stratified sub-sample for more detailed biostatistics (length, weight, sex and stage of maturity), catch-effort ratios and net economic revenue; and comparing this with target species and length frequency data for the various techniques employed in the reef fishery.

Introduction

Coral reefs rank as among the most biologically productive and diverse of all natural ecosystems, their high productivity stemming from efficient biological recycling, high retention of nutrients and a structure which provides a habitat for a vast array of other organisms (IUCN/UNEP, 1988). The Tukangbesi archipelago, which is encompassed in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, is part of the Wallace region, a distinct biogeographic zone between the Sahul shelf (Australasia) and Sunda shelf (Asia) characterised by endemism resulting from its isolation. In particular, the Banda Sea was recently identified as a contemporary centre of Scleractinian coral diversity (Tomascik et al, 1997). Coral reefs are also of special interest to humans due to the wide variety of functions they cater for, protecting the coastline from waves, preventing erosion, contributing to the formation of sheltered harbours, and producing living and non-living resources such as dish, crustaceans and coral rock. Despite their obvious importance, both ecological and economic, reefs are coming under increasing threat from a range of anthropogenic influences, both direct and indirect. These can include pollution, accelerated rates of sedimentation, eutrophication, and trampling and physical damage from boats and divers (e.g. Weber, 1993). It has been suggested that fishing constitutes one of the most widespread exploitative uses (Jennings and Polunin, 1996).

Golden Trevally gathering under a Rompong ; Photo Adam Powell

Often these pressures stem from the increase in size of coastal populations, and this is indeed the case in the Bajo village of Sampela (which comprises approximately 1000 individuals in 180 families), where population growth rates are very high, with an average estimated doubling time of 10-15 years (Majors 1999, pers. comm). The Bajo are previously nomadic sea gypsies who used to live on their boats, migrating to new fishing grounds. However, recently a combination of political and economic factors has prompted them to settle, but they retain their sea-faring way of life by living in pile houses constructed over the reef flats. As a result, whilst their fishing activities may have been sustainable in the past (spearing, reef gleaning, handlining, longlining, and gill netting), there is currently increasing stress being placed on slow-growing reef fish populations in the immediate vicinity of the village. In addition, with the growth of the lucrative live-food restaurant fish trade in south-east Asia, worth $1 billion per year (MacKinnon, 1998), outside fishermen have entered the area to supply this trade by carrying our destructive fishing practices such as blast and cyanide fishing, which cause considerable damage to the reef. There is therefore a need to develop sustainable alternatives which still yield fish to be sold, but do not contribute to coral reef degradation or ecosystem shifts (Jennings and Polunin, 1996). Ideally this should occur on the local scale, as community-based coastal resource management has proved successful elsewhere in south-east Asia, notably the Philippines (e.g. Christie et al 1994, Pomeroy 1995).

Rompongs are offshore fish aggregation devices (FADs) which are anchored in deep water and congregate pelagic fish in space, thereby the time effort input required to yield a catch. The faster growth and reproduction rates of pelagic species also mean that a greater quantity can be sustainably harvested than the slower-growing reef species (Birkeland, 1997). After the designation of the Wakatobi Marine National Park on July 30^th, 1996 two non-government organisations, Yayasan Sama and Conservation International were successful in a bid for funding to carrying out sustainable development projects in Sampela. This community-based coastal resource management has been organised through a village co-operative, whose aim is to involve the stakeholder fishermen in dealing with resource management conflicts. It is involved with three main activities; rompongs, agar farming, and a subsidised shop selling fishing equipment. Members pay a joining fee, and activities are funded by means of a levy on the members who fish the rompongs. Currently this is the order of a third of the value of the catch until the initial investment costs are repaid, and then one fifth thereafter (to be paid only after fishing events when the gross value of the catch exceeds an agreed minimum value of Rp20,000). Rompongs have now been used for just over a year, and whilst 14 have been launched, only 5 remain due to particularly severe January storms in 2000.

The aim of this project was to examine catch-effort ratios to compare the economic and environmental sustainability of the rompong and traditional reef fishery.

Observations of rompongs, both well-established and newly-launched, were made. Anecdotal and observational data was collected on the source material and cost of the rompong, method of construction, fishing techniques employed and numbers of Bajo fishermen involved in the enterprise.

Fieldwork involved accompanying the Bajo fishermen on their morning trips to the rompongs to collect data on catch rates from gill netting, the primary fishing technique employed: specifically the species composition and length frequency (to the nearest 5mm below) of the target species (Decapterus russelli). A stratified sub-sample was then used to obtain additional data on the weight, sex and stage of maturity of the catches. By-catch belonging mainly to the family Carangidae indicated a multi-species pelagic fishery.

The net value of catches was also examined by means of an economic yield per fishing event. The ultimate destination of the fish caught was observed and the values recorded to allow an economic value to be extrapolated for each catch. Fish are landed at Sampela and the target species exchanged/sold with both the Bajo and Kaledupans (by-catch are either used for subsistence purposes or for bait to attract larger fish over deep water). This raw data was then manipulated to incorporate the revenue costs (including the variable amounts due to the co-operative), thus giving a net income per fisherman per fishing event. The potential socio-economic effects were hypothesised based on observations of the community and informal discussions with fishermen.

This data was then related to the reef. Similar data were gathered with respect to the traditional artisanal fishery, but collection proved more difficult reflecting the longer hours and wider spatial area covered by these fishermen. Sampling methodology involved shadowing fishermen involved in the locally-oriented subsistence fishery. The wider range, both in terms of species composition and size, meant extrapolating economic value of the yield was more difficult. As was the case with rompong fish, there is no standard value of fish per standardised unit (e.g. Rp per kilogram); rather fish tend to be sold in bundles valued at 5,000Rp, with the size of the bundle reflecting the species and lengths within it (with some highly desirable fish, such as parrotfish, commanding a higher unit price). Observations at market showed that the pelagic Decapterus russelli consistently sold before the larger reef species, reflecting their improved palatability.

Summary of data collected:

Rompongs:    

• Length frequency per fishing event
• Incidental by-catch
• Length frequency of target genus Decapterus (russelli and maruadsi)
• Biostatistics (weight, length, sex, stage of maturity (gonad development based on a 4 point key)) for a stratified sub-sample
• CPUE (Catch rate per unit effort)
• Gross economic yield
• VPUE (calue of catch per unit effort)

Reef fishery:

• Qualitative data on the various techniques
• Target species by technique
• Length range (and species) of catch per fishing event
• CPUE
• VPUE (extrapolated)

Proposed analysis:

• weight on length regression for stratified sub-sample of rompong catch
• RPUE (net revenue per unit effort) - to take into account capital and operating expenditure (and discount rates)

Tentative conclusions can be made on the comparative sustainability of the traditional reef and the multi-species pelagic rompong fisheries. Despite the variability experienced in rompong catches, reflecting time lag since launch as well as various physical factors (tidal regime, current pattern, lunar cycle), catches generally exceed the rule-of-thumb daily income of 20,000Rp. Additionally, the fishing effort required to obtain this is, on average, just four hours (to sail to the rompong, set the nets, wait, pull in the nets, remove the fish, return to market and sell the fish). This is due to the fact that the rompongs concentrate the fish in a spatially limited area, compared to the reef fisherman who spend longer covering a wider area within the archipelago to obtain a similar yield. There are also obvious ecological benefits of transferring efforts to the rompong fishery: damage (both inadvertent from net setting and intentional from destructive techniques) to the coral reef ecosystem is lessened, as is the pressure on the slower growing reef species. Although the maximum sustainable yield (arguably a limited concept) has not been calculated for the rompong fishery, stage of maturity data shows the catch to be largely mature fish. It is therefore likely that the rompong fishery is well within its ecological limits, and could potentially be fished far more efficiently using a greater number of and larger nets, supporting a greater proportion of Sampela. However, one issue which needs to be addressed is that of pricing. Recently, with the onset of the east monsoon, catches have been substantial, resulting in the market becoming flooded and prices plummeting, disproportionately affecting those poorer members of the community. To address this, the co-operative is currently considering several alternatives, which may include a temporary ban on gill-netting in favour of once-monthly purse seining, on the condition that the fish caught are sold to collecting boats for export, rather than to the local market.

A paper entitled Fishing around FADs in the Wakatobi Marine National Park - the case of Sampela will be produced by December 2000 by Katharine Vincent from Oxford University.

A paper entitled The economic and ecological feasibility of fishing rompongs in the Wakatobi Marine National Park will be produced by January 2001 by Katharine Vincent from Oxford University.

A paper entitled The Sampela co-operative: an Indonesian example of community-based coastal resource management will be produced by February 2001 by Katharine Vincent from Oxford University.

Birkeland, C. 1997 Symbiosis, fisheries and economic development on coral reefs. Trends in ecology and evolution 12 (9) : 364-367

Christie, P., White, A.T. and Buhat, D. 1994 Community based coral reef management on San Salvador Island, the Philippines. Society and Natural Resources 7 (2) : 103-117

Hatziolos, Marea E., Hooten, A.J. and Fodor, M. 1998 Coral Reefs: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable Management. Proceedings of an Associated Event of the Fifth Annual World Bank Conference on Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development held at the World Bank, Washington DC October 9-11 1997 Washington DC: World Bank.

IUCN/UNEP. 1988 Coral Reefs of the World IUCN: Gland

Jennings, S. and Polunin, N.V.C 1996 Impacts of fishing on tropical reef ecosystems Ambio 25 (1) : 44-49

MacKinnon, N. 1998 Destructive Fishing Practices in the Asia-Pacific Region, in Hatziolos, Marea E., Hooten, A.J. and Fodor, M. 1998 Coral Reefs: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable Management. Proceedings of an Associated Event of the Fifth Annual World Bank Conference on Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development held at the World Bank, Washington DC October 9-11 1997 Washington DC: World Bank.

Pomeroy, R.S. 1995 Community based and co-management institutions for sustainable coastal fisheries management in south east Asia Ocean and Coastal Management 27 (3) : 143-162

Tomascik, T., Mar, A.J., Nontji, A., Kasim Moosa, M. 1997. The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas (parts 1 and 2). Hong Kong: Periplus Editions

Weber, P. 1993. Abandoned seas: reversing the decline of the oceans. Worldwatch paper 116. Worldwatch Institute: Washington D.C.

Introduction

The recent introduction of offshore fish attraction devices (rompongs) which enable gill net fishermen to set their nets in the open sea and obtain reasonable catches has resulted in some of the fishing effort of this group of fishermen being diverted away from the reefs. The aim of this study is to examine the economic returns from fishing around rompongs compared to continuing to fish the reefs and to assess whether the construction of more rompongs could further reduce the amount of gill netting on the reefs. The reduction of fishing effort by gill netters on the reefs and its impact on the fish populations is also assessed.

Palm-fronds hanging from the rompong form part of the fish-attraction device ; Photo Adam Powell

To compare the techniques of reef and rompong gill netting the following data were collected :

• The total catch of the target species Decapterus russelli and other by-catch species for the rompongs and the total catch of all the species for the reef fishing.
• Length frequency of the Decapterus russelli for the rompongs and all the species for the reef fishing.
• For both the rompongs and the reef fishing biostatistics of weight, sex and stage of maturity of a stratified sub-sample.
• Economic data on the yield per fishing event, effort input (time) and price of the fish sold.

The above data were collected by working with local fishermen and recording the data as the fish were caught or taken to market. In addition a questionnaire survey of both rompong and reef fisherman was conducted.

• Reef fishing is slightly more profitable on current figures assuming no economic assistance to the Bajo for rompongs. If rompongs are donated then the benefits of rompong fising are much higher.

• If the rompongs don’t get washed away then even allowing for the costruction costs rompongs are a lot more profitable. The 1999/2000 was exceptional in terms of losses with 9 out of 10 rompongs being swept away in the January storms. This reflects a design fault with the mooring system which is being corrected in future rompongs. Assuming this modification is successful and the ‘life expectancy’ of the rompongs increases, then the economics tilt in favour of rompong fishing.

• Catch rates per unit effort are higher for rompongs than for reef fishing with the result that the Bajo have to work fewer hours for the same catch.

• 80.7 % of the reef fish caught are immature or developing compared to 55 % of the rompong target species.

• The modal length frequency class of the target rompong species is 20.5cm and for target reef fish it is 15.5cm.

• The rompongs take pelagic fish which in general have higher reproduction and growth rates than reef fish allowing a greater proportion of the population to be sustainably harvested. Pelagic fish are generally in greater demand due to their greater palatability and have a greater proportion of flesh than reef species.

• Reef gill netting damages the corals as the bottom lead weighted line is pulle over the reef.

• The questionnaire survey showed that rompong fishing is seen as the preferred fishing technique by the Bajo.

• The rompong fishing technique is boosted by Operation Wallacea who provided rompongs free of charge, which on average cost Rp 1,208,127, thereby reducing the initial financial outlay needed to start rompong fishing.

• The rompongs built in 2000 are being fitted with a new anchor system which should hopefully prove more successful at preventing loss. The anchor design is based on the system used in the surviving rompong which weathered the winter storms.

A dissertation entitled The Comparative Economic and Fisheries Impacts of Gill Netting around Rompongs as Opposed to Fishing the Reefs will be produced by January 2001 by Torquil Smith from the University of Birmingham