News Focus - INDONESIA URGED TO PROTECT NAPOLEON FISH by Fardah

  Jakarta, Dec 29, 2012 (ANTARA) - Marine life lovers adore Napoleon fish - also called Napoleon wrasse, humphead wrasse or humpback wrasse - for their comical look with a big hump on their forehead, oversize lips and friendliness.

         The Napoleon fish (Cheilinus undulatus) - an emperor of tropical coral reefs -  is one of the most spectacular sights in the ocean and can grow up to 2 meters weighing 190 kg. Despite their large size, they are a friendly fish and will often approach divers and swim along side them.

        The humphead wrasse is one of the largest coral reef fishes and occurs patchily throughout much of the Indo-Pacific region, that includes Indonesia. Its late maturity, longevity, predictable spawning sites, and natural rarity make it highly vulnerable to over-exploitation.

         Currently, the cute fish is battling for survival and if it is not protected across its range, the species may be forced into extinction.
   Therefore, the Napoleon fish has been listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list as endangered and in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II in 2004.

         "The Napoleon fish is under strict protection," said Secretary General of Indonesia's ministry of maritime affairs and fisheries Gellwyn Jusuf last November 2012.  Since the fish is endangered, it should not be treated as a commercial commodity, he added.

         The Indonesian government had initially planned to impose a moratorium on Napoleon fish exports, following pressures from environmental NGOs. But, the government is now considering a  postponement of the plan to implement the moratorium on the fish export.

          "That's the plan, but it has not been implemented yet," he said, adding that before stopping the exports, the government will first find out about the export quota and the Napoleon fish distribution in Indonesia.

          A Napoleon fish is sold for around Rp1 million, particularly to Singapore and Hong Kong. According to the Deputy District Head of Anambas, Abdul Haris, fishermen in the Anambas District of Riau Islands Province export 300 tons of Napoleon fish worth Rp3 billion every month.  Most of the fish caught in the waters of Anambas, up to the waters of South China Sea, are exported to Hong Kong.

        Local fishermen depend on the traditional cultivation of Napoleon fish, he said. There are more than 100 farms which breed Napoleon fish in the district.

         Regarding the government's plan to impose moratorium on the Napoleon fish exports, the district head expressed hope that the government will make an exception for the fishermen in Anambas, because Napoleon fish exports act as the main source of income for the local fishermen.

        "Regulation and supervision are required to preserve the Napoleon fish," he said, stating that local fishermen are aware that the fish is endangered and they know how to preserve the Napoleon fish.  "We also have the local wisdom in preserving and protecting the Napoleon fish," he said.

         According to information from the fisheries ministry's directorate for conservation of fish species,  Napoleon fish export is only allowed to be transported by air via Soekarno-Hatta International airport in  Jakarta and the International airport of Ngurah Rai in Bali, and only live fishes are allowed. The size allowed for export is the size 1 - 3 kg.

        The Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) has recommended to catch 2000 Napoleon fishes only during 2012,  a decrease from the previous year's catch quota of 3600 fishes. LIPI also recommended to the ministry a  full protection of Napoleon fish for 10 years.

        The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)  has earlier called for a stop in the trade and consumption of humphead wrasse - one of the most expensive live reef fishes in the world.

         In a report released at the 10th International Seafood Summit in Hong Kong, in September 2012, the WWF said live reef fish trade in Southeast Asia continues to be a significant problem that threatens the region's food security.

        The report, Legal and Policy Gaps in the Management of Live Reef Food Fish Trade in the Coral Triangle Region, urged Coral Triangle countries, which includes the Philippines and Indonesia,  to implement a comprehensive management framework on the trade of live reef fish species to help address threats to the region's seafood supply.

       "At the heart of this report is the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which is one of the most challenging issues in the trade in live reef food fish in the Coral Triangle," said Dr. Geoffrey Muldoon, the strategy leader of the WWF Coral Triangle Initiative.

        The Coral Triangle region covers the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands.
    It is one of the most biodiverse places in the world as it contains nearly 30 percent of the world's coral reefs and more than 3,000 species of fish - twice the number found anywhere else in the world. More than 130 million people living in the region depend on the Coral Triangle for food and livelihood.

         Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Australia have been key exporters of live reef fishes for decades, the WWF said. The food fishes are sent to China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, where they are considered delicacies and symbols of an affluent status.

         "By imposing a moratorium on this species in Indonesia, combined with the existing export moratorium in Malaysia and export limitation in the Philippines, we will have restricted three major trading hubs in the Coral Triangle. This will help curb consumption in Hong Kong and China," Muldoon said.

        Conservationists fear that the Chinese demand for these species could become a major driver of destruction of the reefs in the Coral Triangle.

        Putting a moratoria on live reef fish food trade (LRFFT) is a daunting task. The trade on these luxury species is a lucrative business. The World Bank estimated  industry was worth about US$350 million a year from 1999 to 2002. The World Bank concluded that in 2002, the value of the LRFFT in the Asia Pacific region was over US$810 million.

        At home, marine scientists have also urged the Indonesian government to implement a moratorium on the catching and trading of the Napoleon fish.

        A combination of the fish's biological character, destructive fishing and mismanagement, coupled with a lack of supervision on its catching and trade, had caused this fish to be in danger of extinction from Indonesian seas, said Jensi Sartin, the director of Reef Check Indonesia Foundation, as quoted by the Jakarta Post in November 2012.

        "The government has also failed to monitor the trade. It is estimated that 50 percent of fish exported to Hong Kong are transported through illegal routes that have caused great economic loss and have been a major threat to the fish," Jensi said.

        Jensi said this problem was a test of Indonesia's commitment to manage the Coral Triangle Area, the center of the world's coral reefs.

        Humphead wrasse is a WWF priority species, namely one of the most ecologically, economically and culturally important species on planet Earth. "Never eat napoleon fish and boycott a restaurant that serves napoleon fish", WWF appeals the public in general.***3***
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(T.F001/A/F001/A/H-YH) 29-12-2012 22:09:57