RAISING NAPOLEON?

Dr Kim Friedman (FAO) and Prof. Yvonne Sadovy (University of Hong Kong & IUCN SSC Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group)

The high value Napoleon (or as food. However, as demand for fish Humphead wrasse) is an iconic reef fish grows and as the numbers of larger fish in that grows to the size of a large man. the wild declines, an increasing number of Found in shallow tropical waters of both are taking fish at smaller and Indian and Pacific oceans, stocks of smaller sizes and younger ages. Some of Napoleon fish have declined in both size these are taken directly to eat or sell but and number in the last 20 years, prompting small fish with little immediate value are an international treaty to support its also increasingly taken to ‘grow-out’ in protection1. The listing level adopted by cages for months, or even years prior to the international community2 still allows sale. This is a process recently termed exports, but only under strict management ‘capture – based aquaculture’. conditions that ensure that international commercial marketing is not detrimental to There is a certain type of CBA that has the sustainability of remaining stocks. long been practiced with marine invertebrates that involves the collection of From experience, fisheries managers have tiny post-settlement phase larvae for grow- learnt a few things about the productivity out to market size. By taking the tiny of reef fisheries. The first is that small larvae and protecting them from predation, amounts of can actually increase and perhaps feeding them artificially, the productivity by removing the oldest high early natural mortality typical of individuals, while too much fishing can marine species is reduced and the ‘saved’ reduce adult numbers to a point where it animals diverted to and sale impacts the production of future without, if managed properly, impacting generations. managers also know the abundance of wild stocks. Could this that selecting the right level of fishing to same practice be done viably for a marine maximize catch usually targets fish that fish? have been given a given a chance to 3 reproduce and that it is advisable to leave In Jakarta , Napoleon fishermen and the juveniles to grow. However, all this traders from Indonesia’s North West knowledge centres on larger fish and the Anambas and Natuna group of islands got more ‘typical’ fisheries in which the fish together with Government Officials from are taken to be eaten immediately or sold Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and Ministry of Environment and Forestry,

1 Indonesian Institute of , biologists Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and international advisors to discuss and

2 CITES II 3 7-11 December 2015 explore novel methods for managing this advantages over developing hatchery seed nascent form of CBA. The aim of these or taking larger adult or sub-adult stocks meetings was to give a formal footing to that are easily overfished. The potential plans to conserve the conservation- benefits are greater than just ensuring there dependent Napoleon fish in the is a greater survival of juveniles that might Anambas/Natuna Islands whilst otherwise perish, as the process also turns maintaining the option for these remote fishers into farmers, where the full life- communities to derive incomes. cycle of the fish becomes important, as does the home of the Napoleon’s early In exploring ways to make a livelihood growth phase, the shallow water habitats. from the live fish trade with Asian The knowledge gained by maintaining markets, and after depleting stocks of small fish in culture for 3-5 years also adults from cyanide fishing, local fishers offers a range of development and fish farmers started to discover some opportunities that involve fishers in a secrets of the Napoleon’s early life cycle. variety of alternative livelihoods. These are secrets because although all of However, globally there is no CBA us recognize the majestic shape, bright operation on marine reef anywhere colour and general appearance of the adult that has been demonstrably successful, so fish, little was known about the mottled taking too many little fish is still a big risk. black and white juveniles and even less This initiative requires careful about its very early post-settlement phase. management, as we know very little of What they discovered was early settlement sustainable levels of catch of this early life places where small post-larval Napoleons history phase or even how quickly natural transitioned from their planktonic phase mortality declines after settlement. and lived as very small juveniles amongst the inshore algal-coral beds. Camouflaged So why were we called together to help for their protection, it takes an expert to set-up a management model for a fishery spot one, never mind identify if it’s the on early post-settlement larvae conducted right species. But this is what the fishers of only in two tiny island groups in Indonesia these Indonesian islands have ingeniously with local, national and international managed to learn over the last two attendees? The reason is that there is little decades. They now know both the timing precedent for this type of situation for a and the location where very small CITES-listed marine finfish, one that Napoleon fish arrive, and can collect large blends conservation, fishery and numbers or 2-3.5cm individuals over the aquaculture activity with lucrative short harvest period when the fish are international markets. This model, if it can inshore, that they then transfer to culture be developed sustainably, offers much nets for grow-out. This is no small task as potential, in that it benefits remote fishing Napoleon fish are slow growing, taking 3-5 communities with few other opportunities years to reach the preferred market size of to earn a cash income, let alone one 600g-1kg. derived from high value international exports. Additionally it facilitates This form of early capture and culture, if development of further understanding and practiced with care, could offer many possible recovery assistance for an While the potential is exciting, the endangered fish stock. biological and administrative challenges to balance the numbers taken for grow-out The reason this development supports while leaving sufficient fish in the wild, recovery of the stocks is that the take and and safeguarding the habitat of the species, subsequent protection and culture of are enormous. juveniles, if properly understood, and carefully managed within biologically By blending the capture, at sustainable sustainable limits, does not necessarily levels, of small Napoleons from the wild damage the flow of sufficient young fish with their grow-out to marketable sizes, through to adult size classes in the wild and conserving habitat and healthy given the high death rate that usually Napoleon populations in the wild, local occurs at this (very early juvenile-up to a Indonesian communities could potentially few cm) bottle neck in the life history of achieve what hasn’t been done elsewhere fishes. This potentially creates a win-win in the world for reef fish. Hopefully situation with healthy wild stocks and the Indonesia will be one of the first countries culture and sale of many fish, taken as to turn round the fortunes of the Napoleons early post-larvae and protected and in their waters, while still receiving on- nourished in captivity, that otherwise going commercial benefits. would very likely die. However, enormous challenges remain to make such a balance The potentially great news story unfolding a reality. In the Anambas and Natuna in Indonesia, is that the peoples’ ingenuity, islands, where collection of post-settlement along with government support, might larvae has been intensive and largely achieve both a conservation objective uncontrolled, wild adults, once abundant, while lifting remote communities out of are now rare, despite Napoleon habitats poverty at the same time. The government being part of National and Local Marine has initiated several measures including a Conservation Areas. It will also be an research program and data collection enormous challenge for the community to framework linked to a developing ‘national control fishing activity to within the plan of action’. It also needs to develop an appropriated biologically sustainable evidence based argument (non-detriment limits. Still to consider is the source of the finding) to export Napoleons from tiny Napoleons within the broader region, Anambas and Natuna Islands legally. the level of mortality after juvenile capture Much still needs to be done and there is a and the high demand for fish feed to grow long way yet to go to achieve these aims. the fish up to market size. Let’s all hope all these efforts restore Napoleons to their iconic position on Indonesia’s reefs.

Note: The Indonesian Government, with help from International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group, the Food and Agriculture organization of the UN (FAO), Newcastle University, Hong Kong University and CITES assisted the fishers and aquaculture entrepreneurs.