<![CDATA[Dengan mengurangi hasil tangkapan sampingan secara sadar, nelayan udang telah ikut membantu menjamin kesehatan, keanekaragaman dan keutuhan lingkungan perairan; meningkatkan stok udang dengan cara mengurangi penangkapan yuwana udang; dan melindungi stok ikan dengan cara membiarkan yuwana dan ikan dewasa lolos dari tertangkap jaring. Kajian ini membahas lebih dalam proporsi udang dan ikan demersal pada perikanan pukat udang di Laut Arafura. Gambaran umum masalah hasil tangkapan sampingan yang utama dalam perikanan udang di Indonesia adalah tingginya hasil tangkapan sampingan sehingga mengurangi proporsi udang yang diperoleh. Proporsi udang dan hasil tangkapan sampingan pada perikanan udang di Laut Arafura bervariasi baik pada sub area ataupun tahunan. Makin tinggi proporsi hasil tangkapan sampingan, makin kecil proporsi udang yang diperoleh. Bertentangan dengan logika umum di mana setelah hampir empat dekade eksploitasi, ada anggapan proporsi udang terhadap ikan makin mengecil, ternyata tren persentase udang terhadap ikan periode tahun 1982-2008 cenderung naik, sedangkan di sub area Kaimana relatif stabil sebagaimana tampak pada tren yang hampir mendatar. Tren proporsi udang Laut Arafura periode tahun 1982-2008 yang cenderung naik tampaknya ditopang (supported) oleh data proporsi udang dari sub area Aru. By reducing bycatch, the shrimp fishers involved intentionally in ensuring environmental health, biodiversity, and environmental integrity; increasing shrimp stock by reducing catch of juvenile; and protect the stock through releasing juvenile and adult fish caught by the net. This study discusses the proportion of shrimp and demersal fish as bycatch in the Arafura Sea shrimp fisheries. The main picture regarding bycatch in shrimp fisheries in Indonesia is that the higher level of bycatch will lead to the decreasing percentage of shrimp in the net. The annual proportion of shrimp and bycatch in the Arafura Sea shrimp fisheries varied in both by sub area and from year to year. The higher the proportion of bycatch causes the lower the proportion of shrimp. Contrary with public opinion that after more than four decades of shrimp exploitation in which proportion of shrimp in the catch becoming smaller and smaller, in fact, the trend of shrimp percentage in the catch during 19982-2008 have been increasing. The trend of shrimp proportion in Kaimana sub area was almost horizontal/stable, while in the total Arafura Sea (Kaimana, Aru, and Dolak combined) was increasing. The proportion of shrimp on demersal fish in the Arafura Sea was likely supported by the proportion of shrimp from Aru sub area.]]>
