Enhancing Productivity in Freshwater and Bracket Fisheries in Buru District, Maluku Province, Indonesia

The fisheries sector, a vital economic force in Buru, Maluku Province, faces suboptimal conditions, notably in the unexplored potential of freshwater aquaculture due to limited human resources and skills. This study aims to comprehensively explore and develop aquaculture, providing a focused, integrated approach from upstream to downstream sectors. Success indicators and references are established to guide targeted achievements, benefiting the Local Government and Regional Development Planning Agency in Buru. Employing field observation and discussions, the findings reveal the conventional nature of current freshwater aquaculture practices, emphasizing the urgent need for bolstering technical, operational, and managerial aspects in the sector for optimal productivity

The fisheries sector, a vital economic force in Buru, Maluku Province, faces suboptimal conditions, notably in the unexplored potential of freshwater aquaculture due to limited human resources and skills.This study aims to comprehensively explore and develop aquaculture, providing a focused, integrated approach from upstream to downstream sectors.Success indicators and references are established to guide targeted achievements, benefiting the Local Government and Regional Development Planning Agency in Buru.Employing field observation and discussions, the findings reveal the conventional nature of current freshwater aquaculture practices, emphasizing the urgent need for bolstering technical, operational, and managerial aspects in the sector for optimal productivity

INTRODUCTION
Buru Regency features extensive marine and fisheries potential, abundant in various economically valuable fish and marine biota across its coastal areas (Wouthuyzen et al 2002).The significant fisheries production on Buru Island, encompassing sea fish and seaweed, holds immense promise for community welfare and regional economic prosperity, especially with optimal management and integration into processing practices (Suwartana 1985).Analysis of data from 2009 reveals the success of fishing and production activities, coinciding with a notable increase in the number of fishing households.
However, traditional capture fisheries face ecological threats, such as pollution, ecosystem degradation, and overfishing (Ilmi 2018).In response, there is a pressing need to foster aquaculture activities as a diversified and comprehensive approach, harmonizing with fishery product processing (Riyanto and Mardiansjah 2018).This aligns with the National Policy and Strategy (Jakstranas), envisioning small island management as a national benchmark for cross-sector activities at both central and regional levels.
Small islands, like Buru, grapple with developmental challenges, including restricted transportation access, economic scale optimization hurdles, suboptimal management and resource utilization, and deficiencies in basic infrastructure services like clean water, electricity, and accessibility.Despite these hurdles, strategic planning holds the key to unlocking substantial economic opportunities and facilitating sustainable growth.
Economic activities on small islands, exemplified by fishing on Buru Island, demand specialized approaches tailored to available resources (Susilo 2007).To optimize economic scale, strategic development plans are crucial.A key avenue involves planning the expansion of fisheries and coastal cultivation activities, utilizing community-based facilities.This strategy aligns with Buru Regency's strengths, benefiting from abundant fishing human resources.Despite the absence of sophisticated cultivation techniques, the amalgamation of local expertise and influences from immigrants enables effective fishing practices (Umanailo 2015).Moreover, this initiative dovetails with the government's broader vision to position Eastern Indonesia as a central national fishery hub.
Commencing aquaculture development requires crafting a detailed roadmap and operational plan covering aquaculture and post-harvest aspects.This roadmap serves as a guiding framework for the government, offering a thoughtful approach to targeted aquaculture development.It addresses sociocultural and economic dimensions, propelling Buru Regency toward the overarching goal of achieving food independence.
Buru Regency is strategically focusing on the development of freshwater fisheries, aligning with the overarching goal of achieving food sovereignty.The planning horizon extends until 2020, encapsulating a set of recommendations poised to serve as a blueprint.These recommendations will not only guide the formulation of programs and activities but also foster collaboration among stakeholders under the umbrella of the Buru Regency Regional Government.This initiative is laser-focused with the following objectives: precision in directing operational activities, fostering integration across sectors from upstream to downstream; establishment of comprehensive targets and clear stages of achievement to serve as robust indicators of success; provision of a valuable reference point for input procurement and optimal resource utilization, essential for enhancing the productivity of freshwater aquaculture.

LITEARTURE REVIEW
Productivity is production divided by a certain time interval or divided by the land area used.In theory, the productivity level of the area can be influenced by various aspects, both internal and external.Aspects from within the waters that can influence include water quality conditions, the number of floating net cages operated, and the cultivation patterns applied (type of feed, frequency of feeding, etc.), as well as other activities other than aquaculture.Meanwhile, climatic conditions (climatology and meteorology), land use patterns, and social conditions are some aspects from outside the waters that can affect the level of productivity of the reservoir (Saputra et al. 2013)

METHODOLOGY
Assessment and situational analysis are pivotal precursors to any activity, furnishing crucial insights into fishing activities, specifically pinpointing challenges and obstacles.At this stage, key information, including the overall condition of fisheries activities, theme determination, and logistical specifics for outreach initiatives, is sifted through.Utilizing internet searches, secondary data, and consultations with the Regional Government and Bappeda of Buru Regency facilitated this evaluative process.
Six distinct steps are involved in conducting a study article (Templier and Paré, 2015): formulation and purpose of the study question(s); looking through the body of current literature; examining inclusion; assessment of the quality of primary research; information processing; interpret the data and compose a summary.Material preparation involves comprehensive library research, collating literature from books, articles, and research findings, garnered through library searches and online exploration.The extension activities were meticulously planned, commencing in early March with coordinated efforts involving the Buru Regency Government, Fisheries Service, Bapedalda, Iqra Buru University, focus group discussions, and field visits.March through April saw the formulation of roadmaps and document preparation.
Program implementation unfolds through: coordination with Buru District Government, Fisheries Service, Bapedalda, Iqra Buru University; Focus Group Discussion featuring the Padjadjaran University Team, Buru Regency Government, fishermen, coastal communities, and stakeholders; field visits and roadmap creation and document preparation.This collaborative endeavor involves various interconnected institutions, with the Padjadjaran University, Institute for Research and Community Service serving as an information intermediary between universities and the community.Facilitated by entities like the Department and local community associations, the shared objective is the enhancement of people's welfare.The communication methods employed encompass field observations, offering insights into the fisheries potential of Buru Regency and projections for its development, alongside engaging discussions.

RESULTS
Buru Regency, officially established by Law Decree Number 32 of 2008, encompasses an expansive area of 7,594.98 km², comprising 5,577.48km² of land, 1,972.5 km² of sea, and a water area spanning 57.4 km², featuring a coastline stretching over 232.18 km².The current growth rate for Buru Regency in Maluku Province stands at 3-4% per annum.Its economic landscape is predominantly shaped by agriculture, spanning food crop cultivation, horticulture, plantations, fisheries, and livestock.Fishing activities in the sea constitute the primary livelihood for the Buru Island community, with a noteworthy emphasis on capture fisheries.The production output from sea fishing, particularly the capture of tuna, stands at a significant 517,252 tons, contributing to 20% of the total catch (refer to Table 1).
Capture fisheries, as evident in Tables 2 and 3, emerge as a formidable source of income for Buru Island's regional revenue, owing to substantial production volumes and values.Contrastingly, coastal and freshwater aquaculture activities remain minimal, a fact underscored by the considerably lower number of Fishery Households involved in cultivation compared to those engaged in traditional fishing activities.This trend extends to the formation of fishing groups, which substantially outnumber fish cultivating groups, and the absence of groups focused on fishery product processing (refer to Tables 3 and  4).

DISCUSSIONS
In charting the course for the Maritime and Fisheries sector, Buru Regency sets ambitious production targets, anticipating growth in both the capture and aquaculture sectors (refer to Table 5), along with intensified post-harvest processing production (refer to Table 6).The marine and fisheries sector on Buru Island is a crucial source of local income for regional development.On a practical level, fisheries activities on Buru Island encompass fishing at sea and cultivating fish in coastal and freshwater areas.Aligned with the Regional Mid-Term Development Plan or the Central Mid-Term Development Plan for Buru Regency 2012-2017, various activities can be implemented to synergize and fortify marine and fisheries efforts, particularly in cultivation and post-harvest.

Capture Fisheries
Fishing activities, particularly in seawater, significantly outweigh aquaculture activities in both coastal and freshwater regions (Sudarmo et al 2016).This is evident in the substantial volume of seawater fish production, notably surpassing that of freshwater fisheries.Tuna, comprising 20% of the total catch, is the primary commodity harvested from the sea around Buru Island, amounting to 517,252 tonnes.Data from Buru Island Fisheries Production (2013) indicates a marine fish catch volume of 6,202.38 tons, with freshwater catch at 26.41 tons, and freshwater aquaculture at 282.76 tons.
The potential for increased marine catch is closely tied to the fishing gear employed (Nofrizal et al 2018).Hand-line or single fishing rod use dominates sea fishing (20%) on Buru Island.While environmentally friendly and selective, hand-lines have a limited exploration rate for achieving large production volumes.Augmenting production involves expanding the fishing fleet and exploring deeper fishing areas to enhance catch opportunities (Sefnat and Marei 2023).Such endeavors must be accompanied by infrastructure development, notably cold storage facilities.However, Buru Regency faces challenges in this aspect, with minimal operational cold storage, limited investment, management constraints, and insufficient electricity and fuel for operational needs.The existing cold storage, managed by a third party in Waplau Village, has a capacity of 100 tons, and an additional facility is still under construction.The current capacity falls short of accommodating the substantial fish catch production.

Aquaculture
Buru Regency holds immense potential for the development of coastal and freshwater fisheries.Beyond its extensive coastline, the region boasts numerous freshwater lakes and water sources with commendable water quality in both aspects of quantity and quality.In areas where Javanese transmigrants have settled, freshwater cultivation, including tilapia and common carp, has thrived.While the Fish Seed Center (FSC) has been fulfilling the demand for fish seeds, the type, volume, and quality are yet to meet the growing needs.Over the past three decades, at least 10 freshwater fish farming groups have been cultivating.The demand for their produce is high, catering not only to local needs but also supplying the market demand of approximately 11,000 common carp farmers from Java.Expanding freshwater fish cultivation is feasible, utilizing Floating Net Cages in freshwater lakes distributed across various locations in Buru Regency.
Development hurdles in Buru district's freshwater fish cultivation pertain to proper cultivation management, ensuring a consistent supply of quality seeds, and providing high-quality feed (Wungkana et al 2022).The utilization of commercial feed is minimal due to exorbitant prices and unreliable feed continuity.While the use of brackish waters remains limited, coastal areas can be utilized for fish cultivation with relevant species such as milkfish and saline tilapia.Opportunities for brackish fish cultivation align with plans to establish shrimp ponds, construct a fishing port, and establish a cold storage and flying fish processing industry in Masarete Village.
Buru Island's medium-term plan includes the construction of a Fish Meal Factory in Lalah Village, Namlea District, integrated with an ice flake factory, fish trade, and distribution.This initiative serves as a crucial support factor for the advancement of freshwater and brackish water cultivation, fostering selfsufficiency among fish farmers by providing locally sourced feed ingredients.

Fishery Product Processing
The substantial volume of capture fisheries production in Buru Regency presents lucrative opportunities when coupled with post-harvest processing activities.The potential for the post-harvest development of fishery products is considerable, evidenced by existing processing ventures such as seaweed flour, smoked skipjack tuna, tuna floss, and more.
Seaweed processing, specifically with quality cottoni seaweed produced on Buru Island, holds promising prospects.The cultivation and processing of seaweed are evolving in villages like Siahoni, Saliong, and Jamilu.Family-tied cultivators and processors collaborate, yielding seaweed products at a volume of 10 tons per season.The realm of opportunities for seaweed development in postharvest processing is extensive, given the current limited processing of seaweed products into seaweed flour (Priono 2013).Challenges faced by seaweed processors include technological aspects, as traditional methods have been predominant, and the need to enhance group dynamics.

Scope
The foreseen activities encompass the integrated development of freshwater and brackish water aquaculture, incorporating the utilization of fishery products.Key components involve adept cultivation management, the construction and layout oversight of fish ponds, adopting technology for artificial feed based on local ingredients, reinforcing the human resources capacity (cultivators and government agency officials), fortifying the competence of fisheries and marine human resources and their institutions, and fostering

Table 1 .
Advancement of Fisheries Production (Key Commodities) and Sales Value in Buru Regency from 2010 to 2013

Table 2 .
Yield and Value of Marine and Inland Fisheries in Buru Regency from 2009 to 201

Table 3 .
Advancement of Fishery Households and Fishing Infrastructure/ Facilities in Buru Regency from 2009 to 2013

Table 4 .
Enumeration of Fishing Groups and Fishing Villages in Buru Regency,  2009 -2013

Table 5 .
Fisheries Production Targets for the Fisheries Sector 2011 -2017

Table 6 .
Fisheries Group Production Targets in the Fisheries Sector 2011 -2017