Silverside Fish (Atherinomorus lacunosus) in BanggaiWaters, Indonesia: Almost Extinct?

Abstract

The most widely of silverside fish (Atherinomorus lacunosus) populations living in Banggai waters(Central Celebes). The local name is sosodek fish,and we called Banggai Silverside Fish (BSF). This species is beneficial to the daily life of the community and has long been established as a "customary fish". Researchconcerning in Banggai Laut waters (Labobo and Bangkurung), has been carried out in 17th February - 17th March2016. The research aimed to determine exploitation status of silverside. Data collection techniques consist ofsampling and interview. Sampling was conducted on 2,638 individual fish samples, and 391 individues amongthem for estimating growth pattern. Data analysis using quantitative methods. Silverside fish is always spawningsimultaneously just in Boniton beach waters (Bangkurung), only on the night of the full moon, occurs precise atdawn, fainted after spawning, and regained consciousness when the sun rises. The fishermen catch these fishsimultaneously with the fishes release their eggs. Growth pattern is “positive allometric”, and the growth status of body length is “grows very slowly”. While the rates of fishing mortality, natural mortality, exploitation andutilization indicate the level of exploitation has reached the status of “overexploited” until “depleted”. Therefore,this fish resource facing very serious problems relating to security in the resource stock. So that needs to be protected and should immediately do the stock's recovery. That should be done are prohibiting fishing activities,initiating the fish protected areas, and designing fish aggregating devise