Manggarai Barat Study Sets Snapper Allowable Catch at 725 Tonnes

Labuan Bajo — A fisheries study published in May 2024 estimates that snapper stocks in Manggarai Barat waters could support a maximum sustainable yield of 906 tonnes a year, with an allowable catch of 725 tonnes, according to the article in Jurnal Megaptera.

The paper, titled Status Dan Tingkat Pemanfaatan Ikan Kakap (Lutjanus sp.) Di Perairan Manggarai Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, says snapper utilisation reached 100% during its 2018-2019 reference period and had exceeded the allowable catch level. The authors describe the species as Lutjanus sp., a snapper targeted in the waters off West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara.

Study findings

According to the paper, the optimum fishing effort was 1,664 units a year, and the allowable catch, known in Indonesian as JTB, was set at 80% of MSY. The study says that translates into 725 tonnes a year.

The researchers report that snapper utilisation in West Manggarai from 2018 to 2019 had already exceeded that level, leading them to call for limits on fishing effort to help maintain the stock.

The article also says the study used catch-per-unit-effort analysis, a fishing power index and MSY calculations, alongside field observation, surveys, interviews, questionnaires and secondary data.

Management implications

The authors recommend restricting fishing effort and first determining which gear is most effective, efficient and environmentally friendly for harvesting snapper, according to the paper.

They say snapper fishing in Manggarai Barat is dominated by hook-and-line gear, which the paper says accounted for about 90% of gear use, citing WWF Indonesia data from 2016.

The study provides a quantitative benchmark for fisheries management in Manggarai Barat, but it does not establish current catch levels after 2019 or confirm whether the 725-tonne limit has since been adopted by local authorities.

Sources

• Jurnal Megaptera / KKP e-journal article download
• GARUDA Kemdiktisaintek author record