Study of determining the fishing season for tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) landed at Kutaraja Fishing Port, Banda Aceh

Abstract

The tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) is a type of fish landed at the Kutaraja Fishing Port using handline. The production of tiger grouper from 2014 to 2019 fluctuated, so it is necessary to determine the right fishing season to make it easier for fishermen to carry out fishing operations for tiger grouper effectively. This research was conducted in July-August 2020, at Kutaraja Fishing Port. The primary data consists fishing trip, location of fishing ground, and total catch, the secondary data (time series data of tiger grouper catches on 2014-2019, as well as research-related literature). The data analysis consists of catch per unit effort (CPUE) analysis and time series analysis using the moving average method. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) of handline at Kutaraja Fishing Port tends to decrease every year. The highest CPUE occurred in 2015 (26.06 kg/trip) and the lowest in 2018 (0.25 kg/trip). The fishing season index of tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) showed that fish can be caught throughout the year. The results showed that the peak season for tiger grouper landed at Kutaraja Fishing Port occurred in February (201.0%), March (127.2%), June (161.0%), and July (146.1%). Meanwhile, the fishing season index of 50% to <100% includes the moderate season in January (75.0%), August (91.2%) and December (84.3%), and the low season occurs in May (33, 6%), September (31.3%), October (19.9%) and November (41.8%) with the index value less than 50%. In conclusion, the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) at Kutaraja Fishery Port in 2014-2019 fluctuated but tends to experience a significant decline, where the value ranged from 0.25 kg/trip to 26.06 kg/trip. The peak season for fishing of tiger grouper occurs in February, March, June, and July; moderate season in January, August, and December; and low season occurs in May, September, October, and November.