The Traditional Fish Market of Jimbaran as well as Sustainable Seafood Choices
Every visit to a pasar ikan (fish market) in Indonesia can be an unforgettable experience. Not only for the smell as well as frantic activities around the market, although also because in which’s a mirror on the aquatic life of the archipelago, even for people used to only seeing fish served on a plate.
Fish markets are frequented by housewives, restaurant staff as well as even scientists. Several years ago a biologist discovered the presence of a rare fish considered extinct for thousands of years in a Manado fish market. Recently, a team of Australian scientists, after surveying Indonesian fish markets, discovered several species brand new to science, including brand new species of shark.
Close to the touristic area of Jimbaran, local buyers flock to the market for the freshest seafood inside area. The market is usually “structured” in three main parts: a wholesale area, a public sale area as well as an area with some local fishermen selling their products directly on the beach. If you arrive early enough (normally around 6 am) you will develop the possibility to observe traditional Jukung (the double outrigger traditional Balinese canoe) coming back to shore after a night spent at sea.
inside frantic hours before the official market’s opening (around 7 am), many vans by all around Bali will bring fresh seafood inside ice boxes, ready to be delivered to Jimbaran sellers. The close ice-producing factory provides long bars of ice to keep the fish fresh. by personal observation as well as by speaking to the sellers, Jimbaran fishermen normally bring smaller reef-associated fish or smaller tunas (like mackerels) in which are sold to local customers, while bigger fish, clams as well as crustaceans come mainly by the largest fishing villages located inside North of Bali, like Kusamba as well as the Amed area.
An eye on sustainable fishing
What I did notice is usually a relatively high presence of undersized animals (like smaller tunas, or coral groupers) which is usually a clear indication of the overfishing of these species. When big fish have already been targeted for many years, in which has been scientifically demonstrated in which the average body size of a fish population can decrease, which has happened to many coral grouper populations all around Indonesia as well as the entire world. Even while diving in protected areas in which’s very rare to see a grouper longer than 25-30 cm. Several fishermen I spoke to told me in which especially inside last 10 years the size of larger fish is usually definitely shrinking.
Big specimens of the so-called Mahi-Mahi (dolphin fish), indicate in which they probably could be a not bad choice by an overfishing point of view. There were not many barracudas around, as well as when they are there, they are snapped up quickly as they are very easy to sell to tourists. The only large sized reef-associated fish seemed to be large snappers, like the red snapper (Kakap Merah).
There are also squid (cumi-cumi), prawn (udang), crabs (kepiting), a couple of enormous lobsters (udang raya), as well as many different species of clams as well as scallops (tiram). Crustaceans like crabs as well as lobsters are generally caught inside wild with different traditional techniques like traps or hand fishing. Prawns, the majority being Asian tigers (udang windu), raise a big question of sustainability as they are normally farmed in big artificial pools close to the sea, generally replacing mangrove areas, as well as creating problems within the community.
To avoid the presence of parasites as well as disease, these farms use a large amount of antibiotics in which after a while can make the farm unusable, so a brand new one must be built, replacing more coastal mangroves. Prawns by intensive farming should be avoided, while traditional harvesting can be accepted, even if in which’s quite difficult to understand their true source.
Trawl fisheries for wild-caught tropical as well as sub-tropical prawns account for 27% of the entire world’s fish bycatch: as much as 10kg is usually discarded for every kg of prawn brought to land. Bycatch includes the capture of endangered species such as sea turtles as well as dolphins. Cephalopods like squid normally are not overfished (with some exceptions): just check the real freshness of what you’re going to buy. I once had food poisoning by cumi-cumi a couple of years ago as well as in which was a terrible experience.
The key for every consumer is usually to be aware of his impact on the entire world. If there were no requests for shark fin, our ocean would likely still be full of sharks. Consumers make the difference in everyday choices, even inside smaller Jimbaran market. An electronic guide to sustainable seafood in Indonesia is usually available on the WWF website:
http://awsassets.wwf.or.id/downloads/seafood_guide_electronic_new.pdf
Trying to get sustainable seafood is usually an important choice in which can affect the future of our oceans. in which’s just a drop inside sea, although if the request for endangered species is usually reduced, their catches will be reduced.
A quick guide to sustainable seafood in Bali
Say YES to:
- Cakalang (Skypjack Tuna)
- Cumi-Cumi (Squid)
- Mahi-Mahi (Dolphinfish)
- Salem (Rainbow Runner)
- Teri (Anchovies)
- Farmed Kerapu (Barramundi)
- Traditional Udang Windu (Tiger Shrimp)
Say NO to:
- Every species of Hiu (Shark)
- Every species of wild caught Kerapu (Barramundi as well as some other groupers)
- Penyu (Turtle) as well as their eggs
- Maming (Napoleon Wrasse)
- Tuna Biru (Bluefin Tuna)
- Ikan Telur (fish eggs)
- Intensively farmed Udang Windu (Tiger Shrimps)
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The Traditional Fish Market of Jimbaran as well as Sustainable Seafood Choices
The Traditional Fish Market of Jimbaran as well as Sustainable Seafood Choices