Stock Estimates of White Pomfret (Pampus argenteus) Based on Length and Weight Data in Pangandaran Waters

Abstract

White pomfret (Pampus argenteus) is one of the economically important fish and includes the leading commodity in Pangandaran Waters. Information on fishing biology of those species were still limited. The purpose of this study is to determine stock estimates including length-weight relationship, age group, growth, mortality and exploitation rate of white pomfret. Monthly length-frequency data have been collected from November 2018 to August 2019 at Cikidang fish auction. Fish length-frequency distribution was separated into a normal distribution using the Bhattacharya method with software of FiSAT (FAO-ICLARM Stock Assessment Tools). Estimation of population parameters used analytical model application with ELEFAN-1 (Electronic Length Frequency Analysis) program. The results showed that lengths distribution of white pomfret ranged between 19.3 cm - 36.8 cmTL. Length-weight relations was negatively allometric (W = 0,1184L2,3719). Growth equation of white pomfret is Lt = 53.04 (1-e-0.26(t)). Natural mortality (M) was 0.60/year, fishing mortality (F) was 3.04/year and total mortality (Z) was 3.64/ year. The exploitation rate (E) was 0.84. It is mean that higher than optimal exploitation so that the white pomfret fish population in a state of overfished. It is necessary to better policy in the management of white pomfret through precaution approach and describing of biological and fishing aspect in Pangandaran Waters.