BIOLOGICAL CATCH ASPECT OF HANDLINE AROUND PORTABLE FISH AGGREGATING DEVICES (FADs)

Abstract

Portable FADs is not permanently deployed in the water, but only deployed at the time of fishing activities. The purpose of this study are to identify the level of gonad maturity, to analyze the relationship of gastric content of catch with plankton abundance which is interested in portable FADs, to analyze diversity index, uniformity, and dominance of plankton contained in the stomach of fish compared with plankton contained in waters, to analyze the trophic level of fish species around portable FADs. The research was performed by experimental fishing and laboratory test. Data analysis used in this research were gonad maturity level analysis, gastric content analysis, index of diversity, index of dominance, and trophic level analysis. Total fish catch was amounted to 165 individual which dominated by mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) and frigate tuna (Auxis thazard). Other species caught in this research were swordfish (Xiphias gladius), barracudas (Sphyraena sp.) and yellowstrip scad (Selaroides leptolepis). The results of analysis showed that catch were dominated by fish with Gonad Maturity Index II (TKG II) by 53% and TKG I by 38% from total fish catch. The catch were consisted of plankton feeders and carnivorous fish. Gastric content analysis showed that small fish, squid, phytoplankton (which consists of 7 genus), and some of zooplankton genus were found in the stomach of the catch. Highest catch was acquired is in the second fishing operation (day 2) with the total number of catch by 34 individual.