By: Buguh Tri Hardianto (Capture Fisheries Officer)

Kotabaru Regency, which is surrounded by coastal areas, has a large potential for fisheries resources. According to data from the Kotabaru Regency Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP) in 2015, the amount of shrimp production in Kotabaru reached 4,930 tons. This makes shrimp commodity occupy the first position in the amount of production which makes it one of the leading fishery commodities in Kotabaru. In addition to being marketed in the Kotabaru region, the shrimp commodity has also been marketed to several other cities, such as Banjarmasin, Makassar to Java Island. Unfortunately, Kotabaru's superior commodity has not been managed properly so that it can be utilized wisely and sustainably. This can be seen from the practice of shrimp fishing using trawl (mini trawl) in addition to the use of gondrong net or trammel net by fishermen. Basically, mini trawl has been banned from use according to the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 2 of 2015, which prohibits the use of helicopter trawls and drag trawls in the Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia (WPP-NRI).

Information related to the existence of shrimp fishing using mini trawl was obtained by the Seafood Savers team when conducting fisheries practice identification activities in Kotabaru. Where the identification is a stage of the Seafood Savers membership process carried out by one of the shrimp cracker companies that buy their raw materials from Kotabaru. This identification was carried out on November 9-14 through interviews and direct observation of the respondents involved using identification forms from the Seafood Savers secretariat, such as shrimp catchers, shrimp collectors, and DKP Kotabaru Regency.

Regarding the prohibition of the use of the two fishing gears, fishermen requested dispensation to the Kotabaru Regency government to provide relief time for fishermen to adapt to using other environmentally friendly fishing gears. Finally, the Kotabaru DPRD granted a time dispensation until December 2016 for fishermen to adapt their fishing gear, with a note that the use of mini trawl or otter board is not allowed in Kotabaru waters.

"The majority of shrimp fishermen who use trawls (mini trawl) did not change their fishing gear after the ban on the use of trawls was issued. Because fishermen consider mini trawl very effective in catching shrimp," said Mr. Maspirin, a fisherman who also used mini trawl in Kotabaru.

In fact, according to him, by using a mini trawl, fishermen have to spend a fairly expensive operational cost for fuel, because the boat operated must always be in running condition. In addition, the majority of shrimp caught by mini trawl are small plus many by-products that are not utilized, such as garbage, small fish, small crabs, and others. In contrast, using a trammel net provides large, good quality shrimp, minimal bycatch, and requires much less fuel.

Given that the end of December 2016 is the deadline for the use of mini trawls in Kotabaru, Seafood Savers sees an opportunity to initiate all stakeholders to work together to address the condition. All information obtained will later become the basis for Seafood Savers in recommending prospective members to commit to running a sustainable fisheries business in Kotabaru. This is expected to be a momentum for the company to participate in improving sustainable shrimp fisheries with all stakeholders. In addition, it can also be a new spirit for fishermen to catch shrimp with the best practices that synergize with nature so that shrimp resources in Kotabaru can be more sustainable.