RECENT ADVANCES IN BREEDING AND SEED PRODUCTION OF MARINE FINFISH IN INDONESIA

Marine cage culture has made possible the large scale production of commercial finfish in many part of the world and can be considered as the most efficient and economical way of raising fidh. The most vital prerequisite for the development of sea cage farming is the technology  for breeding and seed production and the reliable supply of good quality hatchery produced seeds of suitable high value marine finfish.  In Indonesia, Institute for Mariculture Research and Development at Gondol (IMRAD-Gondol) under The Agency for Marine and Fisheries Risearch and Development (AMFRAD) and  Implementing Units of Aquacultureure (TIU's)  under The Directorate General of Aquaculture (DGA) are intensively producing seeds of marine finfish for both aquaculture and stock enhancement.

The major species for which captive  breeding and hatchery production methods  have been established include: several grouper species such as humpback grouper, Cromileptes artivelis, tiger grouper, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, flowery grouper, E. polyphekadion, estuarine grouper, E. coioides, coral grouper, E. corallicola, potato grouper, E. tukula, giant grouper, E. lanceolatus, coral trout, Pletropomus leopardus and also grouper hybrids, crossing between male E lanceolatus x female E fuscoguttatus and crossing  between female E fuscoguttatus x male E.polyphekadion, Milk fish, Chanos chanos, Asian Sea bass, Lates calcarifer and Pompano Trachinotus blochii. In IMRAD-Gondol, research activities are currently being directed at the domestication and mass seed production of Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacores.

The technology on seed production of milkfish, groupers and pompano have been adopted by private sector. The annual production of milkfish seeds in 2014 was 1.54 billion while for grouper seeds was 20 million and almost 80-90% of the milkfish and grouper seeds are exported to neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and China.

The main problem in mass seeds production of marine finfish is the two most important viruses VNN and Iridovirus causing high mortalities. Research and development have been undertaking to improve standard for seed quality and health maintenance, including the promotion of fast growing fish, healthy, taft to enviromental change and diseases resistance.