By Muhammad Yusuf

The booming of vannamei prawn of South America affected the tiger prawn market in Indonesia. As a consequence, this also makes tiger prawn broodstock (Panaeus monodon) cannot be regarded as germplasm fisheries just yet. Germplasm is a native organism which capable on producing new pure line variety. It is debatable that Indonesian tiger prawn is worthy of germplasm predicate. Most of the writings which contain research on tiger prawn broodstock do not include the reference that stated tiger prawn broodstock from Aceh in Indonesia is the best in the world. The lack of study on tiger prawn broodstock in Indonesia is one of the reason why the government are not interested in developing further potential. Or maybe there are many writings that did not get published?

Although in the writings about “Towards Sustainable Shrimp Culture in Thailand and the Region” which explained that the best tiger prawn broodstock are the one from Aceh. Thailand, the biggest producer of tiger prawn in the world until 2003, agreed that Aceh indeed produced the best tiger prawn broodstock in the world. Staff of Ujung Batee Aceh Brackish Aquaculture Center revealed the biggest reason on the success of tiger prawn cultivation in Thailand and Vietnam was because they breed tiger prawn from Aceh.

Since the 90s, cultivated tiger prawn production suffered a fluctuation. One of the reason is the booming of vannamei who apparently caused a lot of issues such as prawn disease outbreaks caused by intensive cultivation. Eventually people realized and turned back into developing native tiger prawn and design a better management system. Management and development of tiger prawn and its culativation must be done thoroughly. One important aspect is to seek better management in order to produce excellent varieties.

The potential of getting excellent varieties is one of the reason on why tiger prawn should be regarded as germplasm of Indonesian fisheries. According to Fisheries Law & Regulation 2009, germplasm will ensure the conservation and exploitation. Tiger prawn’s ecosystem could be well protected and the people could benefit from this. Not only for Indonesia, but for all the nations that depend on Indonesia’s very own tiger prawn as a key to their successful cultivation.

Translated by Imanda Pradana