This proves that the current status of developing seed technology to produce superior seeds is increasingly dynamicJakarta (ANTARA) - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, through the Batam Marine Aquaculture Center, has made a breakthrough in the field of marine aquaculture by mass-producing hybrid pomfret fry, a senior official has said.
"Hybrid pomfret is the result of cross-breeding a female golden pomfret and a male star pomfret," director general of aquaculture at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Tb Haeru Rahayu, said in a press release issued here on Monday.
The Batam Marine Aquaculture Center has 60 golden pomfret as productive broodstock (mature fish used for breeding), while its prospective broodstock comprises 55 pairs of 800-gram broodstock and one thousand 200-gram broodstock, he informed.
Rahayu lauded the Batam Marine Aquaculture Center for its success in producing hybrid pomfret seeds and golden pomfret, which are difficult to breed.
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He said he expected this achievement to support the purity of gold pomfret and star pomfret lines.
"This proves that the current status of developing seed technology to produce superior seeds is increasingly dynamic," Rahayu remarked.
He pointed out that the market opportunity for pomfret, such as star pomfret and gold pomfret, is quite extensive. Gold pomfret, in particular, have potential in the export market, he added.
He listed the advantages of hybrid pomfret, including thick meat, faster growth, and a higher survival rate.
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"Obviously, this hybrid pomfret cultivation is very helpful for farmers in terms of production costs and income. It is expected that this hybrid pomfret cultivation can spread outside the Riau Islands province in the future, so that the expedition of marine fish production value increases significantly," he said.
Meanwhile, head of Batam's Marine Cultivation Fisheries Center, Toha Tusihadi, said that star pomfret are relatively easy to breed, but their flavor and meat are not as good as gold pomfret.
However, it is difficult to spawn golden pomfret as fertilizing golden pomfret eggs can be a challenge, he added. It is expected that the hybridization technology can address that issue, he said.
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"Such as being able to improve the performance of pomfret both in terms of growth and product quality. So, the advantages of the golden pomfret phenotype (can) result (in) hybrid pomfret to be more compelling in the international market," he added.
The Batam Marine Aquaculture Center has succeeded in producing around 200 million hybrid pomfret seeds so far to meet the demand for seeds in the Riau Islands province, including in Batam, Meranti, and Bintan, he informed.
Demand for the seeds has also come from several other provinces such as Lampung, Bali, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, and Jepara, Central Java, he added.
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Translator: M Razi Rahman, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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