Medan, April 14, 2022 – In order to enhance the capture fisheries production in the waters of Lake Toba, Regal Springs Indonesia supports the efforts of the Government of Toba Regency and the Department of Food Security and Fisheries of Toba Regency in restocking Tilapia fish at four locations, namely Lumban Binanga Village in Laguboti Subdistrict, Sibuntuon Village in Uluan Subdistrict, Pangombusan Village in Parmaksian Subdistrict, and Lumban Gaol Village in Balige Subdistrict, Toba Regency, North Sumatra, on Thursday (04/14).
Restocking activities are one of the measures to improve the management of fish resources by replenishing the stock of captured fish in public waters. Regal Springs Indonesia’s support includes providing 50,000 Tilapia fish fingerlings.
“The company supports the efforts made by the government to preserve the fish population in Lake Toba. Additionally, the restocking program is also our annual routine activity to provide added value and economic benefits to the local community and fishermen,” said Donald William Mcintyre, General Manager Farming of Regal Springs Indonesia.
The Regent of Toba Regency, Ir. Poltak Sitorus, stated that this activity is part of the development program implemented by the Government of Toba Regency to accelerate development. In line with the population growth in Toba Regency and the community’s awareness of health, the demand for animal protein consumption from fish is increasing. “However, unfortunately, the high population of red devil fish (Amphilophus labiatus) has led to a decrease in the catch of fishermen in Lake Toba,” said Poltak.
This restocking activity is one of the efforts of the Government of Toba Regency to increase the production of capture fisheries. “Therefore, with the success of this program, we hope it will increase the income of fishermen and, of course, promote long-term community welfare,” he added.
On the same occasion, the Head of the Department of Food Security and Fisheries of Toba Regency, Sahat M. Manulang, emphasized the need for contributions from all parties to preserve the ecosystem and food security. “Currently, with the increasing population of red devil fish, it greatly disturbs the livelihood of capture fishermen. The catch of economically valuable fish such as Tilapia or carp has drastically decreased,” said Sahat.
He mentioned that prior to the presence of red devil fish, fishermen used to catch up to 10 kg of fish per day. However, after the continuous increase in the population of red devil fish, the catch has decreased to only 1-2 kg per day. “It has significantly declined compared to previous years, making it difficult for fishermen to meet their daily needs. So, with this restocking effort, we are optimistic that we can increase the population of economically valuable fish,” he continued.
Regal Springs has been implementing restocking initiatives in and around its business units for the past few years. From 2019 to 2021, over 450,000 Tilapia fish fry were stocked in Toba Regency and Samosir Regency. In 2021, 500,000 fry were also provided to MSMEs, fish farmers, and fisheries cultivation groups in Serdang Bedagai Regency, North Sumatra. In late March 2022, the company also stocked 100,000 Tilapia fish fry in the waters surrounding Lake Toba.
