ACIAR Project FIS/97/73 - Library - Network of Aquaculture Centres ...

and hook-and-line for valuable fish species (groupers and Napoleon wrasse) to supplyforeign markets (mainly Hong Kong) with live food fish. The extremely highexploitation pressure on the grouper stocks, and the poisoning of the coral reefsthrough the use of cyanide severely threaten the marine biodiversity in and aroundKNP.To abate these threats, TNC’s Indonesia Coastal and Marine Program together with theIndonesian Park authority implemented an extensive marine conservation program forKomodo National Park. Development of a fish culture enterprise that involves localcommunities was identified as a possibility to steer fishermen away from destructiveand unsustainable fishing methods. Also, the development of a fish culture enterprisewould serve as a model for other rural areas in Indonesia, thereby contributing to themarket transformation of the life reef fish trade from unsustainable, capture-based tosustainable, culture-based.In July 1999, an expert team consisting of Mr. Bill Rutledge (Director of Aquaculturefor NSW Fisheries), Dr Mike Rimmer (DPI) and Dr Ketut Sugama (GRSCF) visitedthe Komodo area to collect data for the compilation of a business plan for the fishculture enterprise. The business plan concluded that grouper aquaculture in theKomodo region was potentially highly profitable. The business plan was reviewed byDr Stephen Battaglene, previously with ICLARM and now a Senior Research Fellowwith the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, and has been accepted byTNC. Presently, part of the funds to start up the hatchery project have been securedby TNC, and a suitable location for the hatchery has been identified. It is expectedthat the construction of the hatchery will start in July 2000. Application for fundingto continue this collaboration to develop mariculture for the Komodo region has beenmade to APEC and to AusAID.In addition, linkages have been formed with Sam Ratulangi University, Manado,northern Sulawesi, through the APEC Collaborative Grouper R&D Network staffexchange outlined above.RICF Maros has developed enhanced linkages with Indonesian universities byinvolving undergraduate and postgraduate students in the research:Student Contributions to RICF Activities1. Makmur, M; undergraduate of University of Moeslim Indonesia (Makassar) –protein requirement of humpback grouper (first two of five chapters completed).2. Syafrianto; undergraduate of Hasanuddin University (Makassar) – proteindigestibility of local raw material on humpback grouper. The experiment justfinished in June 20003. Hasmadi; undergraduate from Diponegoro University (Semarang, Central Java) –digestibility of blood meal and ensiled blood on humpback grouper. His researchis still ongoing until August 2000.4. Muchlis, M; Master degree of Hasanuddin University (Makassar) – protein/lipidratio of diet on growth of humpback grouper. His study includes the digestibilityof the diets.ACIAR Project FIS/97/73 – Annual Report – June 2000 25