Prof Alimuddin Highlights the Need for Efficiency in National Snakehead Fish Farming Development to Catch Up with Vietnam

As a fish genetics expert and lecturer at IPB University’s Department of Aquaculture (BDP) in the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK), Prof Alimuddin stated that a comparison of snakehead fish farming technologies with other countries that were already massive such as Vietnam, is necessary.

He revealed that snakehead fish farming in Vietnam has reached a production rate of 45 kilograms per cubic meter. According to him, Indonesia has a more intensive breeding and nursery system. However, Vietnam is more efficient.

“It is concerning that Vietnamese snakehead fish enter Indonesia for processed products such as pempek and albumin, so we need to consider the efficiency of our farming practices to remain competitive with Vietnam,” he said during the 12th Webinar Training Freshwater Aquaculture (WETIFA) titled ‘Efficient and Sustainable Snakehead Fish Farming Technology’ which was held by the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Center (BPBAT) Sungai Gelam, Jambi (11/4).

Prof Alimuddin emphasized that the development of snakehead fish farming requires good coordination for the development of superior varieties. In the future, snakehead fish should be developed not only for meat consumption, but also to enrich its albumin content, he added.

“If it is possible, breeding or feed development should be directed towards enriching the albumin content in the meat,” he further stated.

Furthermore, he continued, Indonesia’s snakehead fish breeding program lacks complete data, and this needs to be anticipated to avoid falling behind Vietnam in terms of technology.

“In Indonesia, the breeding ponds are square or round, while in Vietnam they are still square. The efficiency of breeding is determined by the quality of the feed. Indonesia still uses feed with a protein content of 36-38 percent, while Vietnam uses 40 percent,” said Prof Alimuddin.

Therefore, he said that the need for efficient feed testing to ensure stable and high-quality fry and fecundity, consistent across seasons.

Overall, snakehead fish farming in Jambi is considered more advanced, and it needs to be spread to various regions. However, the farming techniques need to be anticipated, especially if applied in West Java, as snakehead fish is commercialized as an ornamental fish, will compete with other types of ornamental fish. (MW) (IAAS/DSR)