Indentifikasi Kelimpahan dan Keanekaragaman Ikan Hasil Tangkapan Gillnet (Jaring Insang) di Perairan Afulu Kecamatan Afulu Kabupaten Nias Utara Sumatera Utara

Abstract

This research was motivated by the absence of studies on the composition of fish catches using gillnets in the waters of Afulu Village, Afulu District, North Nias Regency, despite the importance of such information for sustainable fisheries management. The research problems addressed include the composition of catches, the proportion of the main catch (HTU), by-catch (HTS), discarded catch (HTT), Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE), relative abundance, and fish diversity index. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the catches, while its benefits are expected to provide baseline information for fishermen and relevant stakeholders in developing environmentally friendly fishing strategies. The study employed a survey and documentation approach with primary and secondary data collection over 28 days (18 fishing trips) using a gillnet with a 3.0-inch mesh size. The data collected consisted of species composition, number of individuals, and fish weight, which were then identified by common and scientific names. The results showed a total of 267 individual fish belonging to 23 species and 14 families. The Main Catch (HTU) accounted for 75.66%, By-Catch (HTS) 18.35%, and Discarded Catch (HTT) 5.99%. The average CPUE was 2.87 kg/trip with a total catch of 51.6 kg. Relative abundance was dominated by the Carangidae family, particularly Carangoides chrysophrys, with a value of 43.45%. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) was 2.53, indicating a moderate level of diversity and relatively stable fish population conditions.