First report of artificial floating habitat to increase the fish population in Koto Panjang reservoir, Indonesia

Abstract

The artificial habitat being tested in the Koto Panjang Reservoir is a step to anticipate the emergence of symptoms of a decline in fisheries resources at this time. This study aims to examine the types of artificial media in the artificial habitat structure favored by fish. This research was carried out from June 2022 to August 2023 in the Koto Panjang Reservoir. Artificial habitat is created as many as 10 structures. Each structure has 8 attractors with different media (raffia rope, plastic bonded rope, palm fiber, packing bottles, and coconut leaves, which are suspended at a depth of 2-8 meters. Four units of fish traps are placed on each structure for monthly fish collection, then counted and identified according to applicable procedures. The result shown that were 232 fish caught in all artificial habitats consisting of 16 species, excluding 1 type of freshwater shrimp. On raffia cord media, more types of fish were caught, reaching 56% compared to 12% on packaging plastic bottle media. It was concluded that this artificial floating habitat with different media could be a gathering and foraging place represented by 16 fish species from the 44 fish species recorded in this reservoir.