Toward Sustainable Fishing Practices in Indonesia: Defining a Catch Quota Allocation for Saddletail Snapper (Lutjanus Malabaricus) in the Arafura Sea

Abstract

The Arafura Sea hosts the commercially significant fish species, Lutjanus malabaricus, commonly known as the saddletail snapper. We devised a quota allocation approach for sustainably capturing this species. This approach involved estimating the species’ life history parameters through calculations of the size at 50% maturity, as well as life history ratios (M/K and Lm/L∞) to figure out the Total Allowable Catch (TAC). We based our calculations on the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) that came from the catch and landing data from Probolinggo Port. This helped us set a fishing quota that fits the situation in Indonesia. Our analysis revealed that the size at 50% maturity was 52 cm, slightly lower compared to the neighborhood waters. Using the Length Based-Spawning Potential Ratio (LB-SPR) model, we determined the stock’s SPR to be approximately 17%, which falls below the targeted healthy fish stock SPR reference of 40%. The estimated MSY stood at 2,307 tons, and the TAC calculation slightly exceeded the approach based on time series fitting. Given the notably low SPR estimate, we suggest a cautious approach, recommending an MSY of 2,307 tons per year for Probolinggo Port, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the fishing mortality rate within the sustainable threshold.