Unique Side of Traditional Indonesia Tuna Fishing

Not many people know about Indonesia, but if you love tuna you should know about this country since it is one of the largest tuna fishing country. Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, which is why they own large area of water and see that contains many kinds of fish including tuna. Each year the country produces around 1 million tons of tuna which make up to sixteen percent of the entire tuna supply in the world. Seeing that huge number, it is understandable that the Indonesia tuna fishing is one of the most vital industries in Indonesia which affect the country’s economy and foreign trade earner. We can also say that Indonesia holds a huge key in the whole tuna industry.

Indonesia Tuna Fishing with Traditional Method
The Indonesia tuna fishing is take place around the Eastern Indian Ocean area which produced around twenty percent of the country’s total tuna production as well as in the Western Central Pacific Ocean which produced around eighty percent of the country’s total tuna production.
The fisherman in Indonesia still use traditional method of fishing including the technique and equipment, this what make tuna fishing in Indonesia different from other country such as Spain, Japan, China, Korea, Philippine, and Taiwan. Here are some differences that you can see in the tuna fishing culture in Indonesia which is very interesting to know:

1.      Equipment and technique
Indonesia fisher still uses traditional method of fishing including the technique and equipment. Some of them are still using pole and line traditional method to catch the tuna. That is why this country has become one of the countries that gain attention by the IPNLF. IPNLF itself is an international organization which support, promote and develop environmentally and socially responsible tuna fisheries in the world using hand line as well as pole and line.
As we know there is tuna fishing method that also hurt other species during the process where the other species will end up as the by catch. Some of them would not survive and end up dead in the process. The method is seine fishing using large purse nets which then be set around FADs that will attract tuna, however the aggregation device also attract other kinds of fish besides tuna such as  sea turtle, rays, shark and sometimes dolphin and whale. Some of those species are endangered species, which illegal to catch. That is why the safest tuna fishing method that should be use is one by one fishing method which could be done using pole and line such as done by Indonesia tuna fishing industry.

2.      Sky reading method
This might be the oldest fishing method that not used by a lot of people anymore since now they already uses modern way to gain information about the weather. However the traditional method of sky reading is still used by many fishers in Indonesia to decide whether they will go out to fish tonight or not. If they can see the stars and lights in the distance then they will go out to the sea, if they cannot see the stars and lights in the distance then they will stay put and not fishing. Surely this traditional method is not always correct and many fishers will end up blown away far from their destination and shore for days. Nevertheless the fisher still believes the method that has been taught from one generation to another.

3.      Hand hauling method
We know that hauling tuna is not an easy thing to do even with modern equipment that available today. However many people in Indonesia tuna fishing are still using hand to haul in the tuna which could weight tens of kilograms each. Of course the tuna do not want to come out from the sea that easy which is why the fisher spend so much energy just to haul them in by hand.
As many of the fisherman is still using the traditional method of fishing including the technique and equipment, then this make the fishing become inefficient. Indonesia tuna fishing is still not giving its full potential which is why they will need to scaling up the game by using new technology to make the method become more efficient without endangering other species in the process.