Yellow coral goby (Gobiodon okinawae) trade in Banggai Laut District, Indonesia
This species is very popular in the aquarium trade. Reef-associated fish species, such as this one, have been documented to be particularly vulnerable to deleterious climatic changes (Comte and Olden 2017). This species is associated with live, tabular Acropora corals, which, are experiencing declines globally due to a variety of local and regional threats (Carpenter et al. 2008) including temperature extremes leading to bleaching and increased susceptibility to disease, increased severity of ENSO events and storms, and ocean acidification. There have likely been significant local declines in coral habitat in some parts of its range, such as in the Great Barrier Reef and parts of southeast Asia, where declines of more than 65% have been observed (Wilkinson 2008, Carpenter et al. 2008, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2017).
this species is being captured and exported from the region to be sold in the global saltwater aquarium trade; there is a general strategy to catching the fish. Fishers use what is called a “serok” or a fine mesh net that is attached to a circular opening with a handle
the practice of uprooting entire coral branches in order to collect the fish, which is sometimes used by harvesters, violates several Indonesian laws (e.g. Laws UU 5/1990; UU 27/2007; UU 32/2009; UU 45/2009; UU 32/2014) prohibiting damage to corals
This study was conducted in the Banggai Archipelago, Banggai Laut District, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia from October 2018 to September 2019. The primary study site for the yellow goby data set was Toropot Village in the Bokan Kepulauan Sub-District, although one of the traders was from Bone Baru Village in Banggai Utara Sub-District (Figure 1). Observational data were collected during fishing trips to the coral-mangrove areas immediately adjacent to Toropot as well as around the island of Kokudang.
Local fishermen harvest the fish, and sell them to local traders on the same day as capture. The fish are then destined for the Global Marine Aquarium Trade.
we argue that harvesting the yellow coral goby presents a potentially sustainable alternative or additional source of income for fishers, especially compared to targeting another popular aquarium species in the region, the royal blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus). For the former species, fishers use a large scoop net known as a “serok”, while for the latter, fishers often use illegal chemical anesthetics.
we argue that harvesting the yellow coral goby presents a potentially sustainable alternative or additional source of income for fishers, especially compared to targeting another popular aquarium species in the region, the royal blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus). For the former species, fishers use a large scoop net known as a “serok”, while for the latter, fishers often use illegal chemical anesthetics.
Another strategy, one that could be considerably more destructive, is to dislodge a whole coral colony and shake it into the net in order to capture as many of the individuals as possible and minimize escapees;
Drawing from the lead author’s participant observation data, a series of bad weather days was often when fishers who did not usually use destructive practices, such as bombs, would turn to these methods out of frustration and the need to earn income for the day or at least bring fish home for dinner. Therefore, the potential for collecting goby to provide a more sustainable alternative to earn income during poor weather days is significant.
we argue that harvesting the yellow coral goby presents a potentially sustainable alternative or additional source of income for fishers; it is remarkable that G. okinawae was also recently found to be among the least vulnerable species of popular aquarium fish (Dee et al 2019). This low vulnerability rating was based on its relatively high productivity (an approximation of the ability to rebound from depletions based on 10 life history traits) and low susceptibility to overfishing (based on 12 catchability, management, and fishing practice attributes).
n theory, we argue that collecting G. okinawae presents a relatively sustainable source of income due to the low vulnerability ranking of the species in a recent Productivity Susceptibility Analysis of 72 reef fish stocks; However, it is important to note that fishers will gravitate towards the most efficient way of collecting a species, which, as observed in the case of G. okinawae, can include dislodging large pieces of branching coral to shake the goby into their nets. If done too often or by too many fishers, there is potential to destroy the habitat of the goby and therefore decrease its ability to reproduce and maintain a viable population.
thoughtful management should still be considered to ensure that the benefits the species provide remain.
Livelihood diversification especially useful during certain seasons: Based on observation over the course of the year, as well as the volume-by-month data, our findings suggest that being able to collect goby was especially important during periods of seasonally inclement weather, including “musim utara” or north monsoon;
Paper suggests that capture of this species increases local fishers’ ability to diversify their livelihoods; Some fishers and traders in the region are now targeting the lower-value yellow coral goby, Gobiodon okinawae;
this is a low value species that must be bought and sold at a high volume to make substantial profit. These fishing grounds remain accessible during both inclement weather days as well as longer seasons of bad weather that limit their ability to catch other target species, helping fishers continue to earn some income during challenging circumstances.
Swanson S. S., Moore A. M., Ndobe S., Jompa J., 2021 Yellow coral goby (Gobiodon okinawae) trade in Banggai Laut District, Indonesia. AACL Bioflux 14(1):259-273.