Off the Record: Unveiling Volume of Unreported Catch in Marine Fisheries with Data from Labuan Fishing Port, Java, Indonesia

Marine fisheries provide a nutrient source for humans, and Indonesian marine fisheries have the second-highest production rate globally. Reliable evidence of the volume of captured fish is crucial for the sustainable management of Indonesian fisheries. The Labuan Fishing Port in Banten Province, Sunda Strait, was surveyed between September 2022 and March 2023. Based on personal inspections and an anonymous questionnaire, fishermen used various methods to catch fish. The captures by fisheries showed that the gear types, including purse seines and a mix of several types of gear, were the largest contributors to officially registered (auctioned) production, with 85.85% and 83.91% of their captures being auctioned, while bottom otter trawls auctioned 7.91% of their capture only. The reported reasons for unrecorded catch varied, with time pressure and lack of supervision being the leading factors. Most unrecorded captured fish were sold directly to buyers or taken home for consumption. Thus, the reports are considered inaccurate. Implementation of real-time data capture techniques and enhancements to marketing and auction systems was recommended.