Napoleon fish, the darling of Anambas fisherfolk

Napoleon fish, the darling of Anambas fisherfolk

Apart from its beautiful ocean panoramas, the Anambas Islands in
Riau also offer the bustling activity of fisheries, which have
been a major tourist attraction on the islands' for years.

And the Napoleon fish are the star attraction at the
fisheries, as well as being much in demand by overseas fish
buyers. The Napoleon fish from the islands' fisheries are now
being exported to Singapore and Hong Kong.

"Ships from Hong Kong and Singapore frequently drop by here to
buy Napoleon fish," said Tian Ken, 43, who lives in the Air Sena
fisherman village in Ladan district, Natuna regency.

Tian Ken has his own fish farm. He is also a trader, who
purchases fish from some of the smaller fisheries nearby.

Besides the Napoleon fish, Tian Ken and other fish farmers in
the area also raise a number of other fish and ocean products,
including lobsters, tuna and other large fish.

But the Napoleon is the favorite because of the money these
fish bring in.

A kilogram of Napoleon fish sells for about Rp 365,000 to
foreign traders, said Ismail, a 38-year-old fish farmer.

"The sales can reach up to hundreds of millions of Singapore
dollars per year. Fish farmers can earn net revenues of 20
percent from their total gross sales per year," said Sen Sen,
another local in the business.

Most fishermen in the area are not well educated and they
prefer to leave the business with offshore buyers to big traders
in Tanjungpinang, such as Ahi Santoso.

"We are simple-minded and illiterate. We only know how to
raise fish," Tian Ken said.

According to Sen Sen, health concerns are behind the bustling
business in Napoleon fish.

"People in Hong Kong believe that the fish can reduce your
cholesterol," he said.

For the fish farmers, raising Napoleon fish is not difficult
because it is a fairly sturdy fish that rarely falls sick.

The main problem is the weather.

"In the dry season, most of the fish die due to a lack of
water," said Sen Sen.

Another minor problem is that the fish require huge amounts of
foods.

According to Sen Sen, every 200 kilograms of Napoleon fish
requires 10 kilogram of food, consisting of smaller fish and
shrimps.

The harvest period for the Napoleon fish is different,
depending on the weight of the fish.

"Most traders prefer to purchase Napoleon fish when their
weight reaches between 500 grams and 700 grams," said Tian Ken.

-- A'an Suryana