Management of demersal fish of Kotania Bay, Western Part of Seram, Maluku Province, Indonesia

Abstract Research to study demersal fish in Kotania Bay was conducted from June 2017 to August 2018. The results showed that demersal fish species fished in Kotania Bay consisted of 99 species from 6 families namely Serranidae, Lutjanidae, Scaridae, Lethrinidae, Mullidae and Labridae. The most abundant species groups were species of family Serranidae and Lutjanidae (35 and 25 numbers of species respectively). Demersal fish species are mainly used for human consumption and the caught tend to have high value, therefore, fishers in Kotania Bay exploited the demersal fish intensively. Several important species of family Serranidae and family Lutjanidae are the most abundant fish species in the caught, but some of demersal fish in Kotania Bay are now overexploited, this trend has appeared since the year 2000’s. Low fish catch and income of most fishers along coast of Kotania Bay and in addition to their reliance on fishing as a livelihood, has contributed to continued overexploitation. Fishing activities of demersal fish in Kotania Bay depend on monsoon, and the high catch of fish was in January, February, and March (4,560, 4,200 and 3840 kg respectively). Regarding to the overfished of demersal fish in Kotania Bay, therefore, are recommended some forms and regulations of management for demersal fisheries recovery and sustainability, such as restrictions fishing gears, collaboration stakeholders between levels of management, control of demersal fish utilization, alternative livelihood for fishers, protection habitat of fish through conservation and rehabilitation program, and encouraging co-management.