Indonesia Central Java prawn: Researching genetics and life histories of white prawns

• Collecting morphometric data, including total length, carapace length and width, total weight and sexual maturity
• Using genetic connectivity data to assess migration patterns of white prawns
• Compiling a comprehensive stock status report
  

Improving the sustainability of an Indonesian prawn fishery

The Central Java prawn fishery, operates throughout central Indonesian waters, including the Malacca Strait, Java Sea and Makassar Strait. The fishery targets white prawns (Fenneropeneaus merguiensis), also known as banana prawns, using pot/trap and trammel net gear and their catch is vital to the local economy.

To meet international demand for sustainable seafood and improve its environmental performance, the fishery entered the MSC Improvement Program in 2021 and hopes to become certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard in 2026. 

Pre-certification assessments have found the fishery needs to obtain more data around the white prawns’ stock status. This data would be used to develop a management strategy for the fishery, harvest control rules to ensure the population's long-term abundance, and a harvest strategy that prevents overfishing of the stock.

To achieve their sustainability goals, the fishery is working closely with researchers from the Universitas Diponegoro in Indonesia. Yefta Olivia Siahaan is a Master’s degree student at the university and the recipient of a Student Research Grant from the MSC Ocean Stewardship Fund. The grant will allow Siahaan to obtain essential data on the white prawn population and its life history for the sustainable management of the fishery.

What the project will do

To develop a holistic understanding of the white prawn population structure and its dynamics, the project will first gather data on the prawns’ life histories and morphometrics. These include measurements of individual prawns’ length, carapace length, width and total weight that will establish the growth patterns and the overall physical health of the population. 

Additional data on characteristics such as sex and sexual maturity will provide information on the number of prawns of reproductive age entering the population and help better predict spawning seasons. Overall, life history data will be crucial in establishing the stock’s abundance.

The project will also examine the genetic connectivity of white prawn populations within the Indonesian fisheries’ routes. Samples will be collected from each mile of the route and will reveal how populations are connected within different fishing routes. This is important for a broader understanding of the ecology of the species.

Results from the research will be used to inform the management strategy of the fishery and help ensure operations are sustainable for the long-term future of both the prawn stocks and the fishing community.