Analysis Catching Activity of Eel Elver on the Water of Cimandiri Estuary, Palabuhanratu Bay, Jawa Barat

Abstract

Eels (Anguilla sp.) are potential export commodities. However, there is a decrease in the number of eel elvers. Eel farming is still difficult to do if it starts from the stage of eggs and larvae. So, fishermen catch eel elver at the river or sea. Then, the elvers have been raised in fishpond. The current research attempts to describe the catching activities of eel elvers, to describe the condition of eel elver resources, and to estimate the relationship between sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a and fishing ground of eels at Cimandiri’s estuaries, Palabuhanratu Bay. The Research conducted on January to April 2012. Data were collected by interviews and also downloaded SST and chlorofil-a concentration images on http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov and http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/. The results show that, fishermen use simple fishing gear and operating technique for catching eel elvers. The fishing gear have been used by fisherman are waring and anco. Fishermen sell eel elver’s catch to the aquaculture’s company. Moreover, there was a sharp decrease in the volume in the eel elver catches. It is because the eel elver resources condition is getting worse compared to the early period of fishing activities. In addition, the SST averages was still in the range value of adaptation for eel elvers. It is because there is a small number of temperature variety in tropical water (including Indonesian water). In addition, the average concentration of chlorophyll-a included high categories from 1998 to 2011. So that, the high concentration of chlorophyll-a is a good location for the growth of phytoplankton and other aquatic animals.