ishBytes – September/October 2003 Page 6 Russian Documenting common the common names of names of Indonesian fishes

fishes by Eny A. Buchary, Dewi S. Wahyuningsih by Natalia Chaikina and Having Russian as my mother tongue, Spanning the equator as the world’s is dated, and making it available to I was not surprised, when I asked Dr largest archipelago, Indonesia is a contemporary users is not a matter of Pauly for a suitable Honours thesis diverse country, both geographically distributing photocopies of the rare topic, that he suggested that I develop and culturally. Its diversity is originals still available. a model for an ecosystem docu- manifested both in its flora and fauna, We report here on work we mented mainly in the Russian litera- and in the cultures of its people. initiated several years ago to use ture. Thus, I spent the summer assem- Grimes (1996a, 1996b) and Grimes FishBase (Froese and Pauly 2003) to bling a model of the Sea of Okhotsk, and Grimes (1996) in their Ethnologue update and disseminate the West of the Kamchatka Peninsula. (the most complete and accurate large compilation of Schuster and While it took me a long time to get scale database on languages of the Djajadiredja. This work included: (1) in contact with Russian scientists, it world) listed 717 languages spoken in updating the old spelling of all took me even longer to read over and Indonesia, of which five have recently common names, based on the translate all of the information they become extinct. orthography of modern Indonesian; (2) sent me. A specialized dictionary was One result of this is that there is an distinguishing spelling variants of a required for this work, and Dr Pauly enormous diversity of common names species within a given language and pointed out to me the existence of the for the organisms with which people between languages; (3) identifying the excellent volume compiled by Ricker interact, which are expressed in a language, as defined in Ruhlen 1991; (1973). This very much helped me multitude of languages. This is Grimes 1996a, 1996b; and Grimes and progress, and my model of the Sea of especially so for fishes - a most Grimes 1996, based on the localities Okhotsk is now near completion. speciose group. listed for that name, and (4) adding Moreover, it turned out that Ricker’s With over 2,000 species of fish literal translation of fish common dictionary included over 4400 Russian (Froese et al. 1996), the diversity of names, based on the first two authors’ common names of fish, which I Indonesian fish species and common knowledge of, and/or familiarity with needed to access the information in names is both a blessing and a curse. several local languages of the Indone- FishBase (see www..org). So, I One attempt to confront the sian archipelago, and local dictionar- ended my summer extracting and corresponding ies. checking these names, which are now common names, and to make The translation and verification all in FishBase (properly linked to the common names available to field component of the work was a current scientific names), and which workers, professionals and other Herculean task. Overall, we were able will thus enable Russian scientists to ‘users,’ is the remarkable compilation to acquire around 50 dictionaries of access more easily and straightfor- by Schuster and Djajadiredja (1952), various Indonesian languages from wardly the information therein. As which includes 4,501 common names UBC and other libraries, allowing well, Ricker’s English definition of (plus a large number of spelling checking and translation of about two Russian terms pertinent to variants) and covers 845 species of thirds of the names in Schuster and and aquatic biology were added to fish, both marine and freshwater. Djajadiredja’s list. Of these, half were the multilingual FishBase Glossary - Based as it is on the taxonomic work incorporated in FishBase, while the another tool that Russian and other of M. Weber and L.F. de Beaufort (1911- other half will soon follow. We hope researchers will find useful. Quite a 1962), who described the bulk of the that the remaining one-third of the list, productive summer! ichthyofauna of Southeast Asia, and and other names, will become numerous interviews throughout available through the initiative of FC References much of the Indonesian archipelago, Research Fellow Dr Tonny Wagey, who Ricker, W.E. 1973. Russian-English the work of Schuster and Djajadiredja intends to work toward an ‘official’ list Dictionary for Students of Fisheries and must remain the basis of any attempt of common names of Indonesian Aquatic Biology. Fisheries research to document the common names of board of Canada: Ottawa. Indonesian fishes. However, this work Continued on page 7 - Indonesia Page 7 ishBytes – September/October 2003 What’s hot! Indonesia - Continued from page 6 edition. Summer Institute of Linguistics. fishes, similar to the North American Dallas, USA. Electronic version, [http:/ “Seamounts are hotspots of list. This will require collaboration with www.sil.org/ethnologue]. in the vast realms of the open ocean. Indonesian government institutions Grimes, B. F (ed) 1996b. Ethnologue Marine mammals, sharks, tuna, and and universities, who, in return, will Language Name Index to the 13th cephalopods all congregate over sea- benefit from being able to use local Edition. Summer Institute of Linguistics. mounts to feed on the rich booty and names to access the rich information Dallas, USA. Electronic version, [http:/ even seabirds have been shown to be on Indonesian fishes in FishBase. www.sil.org/ethnologue]. more abundant in the vicinity of shallow Grimes, J. E. and B. F. Grimes (eds) seamounts. Though the diversity and References 1996. Ethnologue Language Family exceptionally localized distribution of Froese, R. and D. Pauly. (eds) 2003. Index to the 13th Edition. Summer species living in these unique com- FishBase. World Wide Web electronic Institute of Linguistics. Dallas, USA. munities are acknowledged, their publication. www.fishbase.org. Electronic version, [http:/www.sil.org/ biology and life history remain poorly Froese, R., S. Luna and E.C. Capuli ethnologue]. studied ...” This is an extract from an (1996) Checklist of marine fishes of Ruhlen, M. 1991. A guide to the article by Fisheries Centre student, Indonesia, compiled from published World’s languages. Vol. 1: Classification, Telmo Morato, featured this month in literature. p. 217-275. In D. Pauly and with a postscript on recent the “Hot articles” section of ICES’ web- P. Martosubroto (eds) Baseline studies developments. Stanford University site. To read more, visit www.ices.dk/ of Biodiversity: the Fish Resources of Press, Stanford, USA. 433 p. marineworld/seamounts.asp. Telmo Western Indonesia. ICLARM Studies Schuster, W.H. and R. Djajadiredja, will also speak about his work at the and Reviews 23, Manila, Philippines. 1952. Local common names of upcoming Deep Sea 2003 conference in Grimes, B. F (ed) 1996a. Ethnologue: Indonesian fishes. W.W. Hoeve, Queenstown, New Zealand (Dec 1-5) Languages of the World. Thirteenth Bandung, Indonesia, 276 p. (www.deepsea.govt.nz/index.aspx). Pew Marine ellows 2003 Meeting in Blaine, Washington

The 2003 meeting of the Pew Fellows was a special guest, and presented a Bonaire’s rights to foreign fleets in Marine Conservation was held at much appreciated review of marine and in strengthening local marine the Semiahmoo resort near Blaine mammal issues and research in the management. Fourth, partly through (WA), near the Canadian border. The Pacific Northwest. Amanda Vincent’s co-ordinating efforts, week’s record rains did not dampen This year’s Pew Fellows meeting Fellows refined a policy statement on the enthusiasm of the participants, emphasized the emerging strength of marine protected areas, to be signed who engaged in the usual rich but the Program. First, the arrival of five and sent to policy-makers around the relaxed round of talks, workshops, new Fellows (including FishBase’s world. films, posters and great hospitality. Rainer Froese) was most welcome The meeting was brightened enor- Most of all, however, the 70 or so after a year in which none were mously by glad news of the new Pew people present just enjoyed the appointed. Second, the many Fellows Institute for Ocean Sciences, to be wonderful opportunity to talk to each engaged in community-based hosted by the Rosenstiel School of other, recharge their batteries, and conservation discussed their experi- Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at plan a better future for the oceans. The ences and developed collective the University of Miami. This will hardiest participants even managed a initiatives to transfer information and embrace the Pew Fellows Program, kayaking outing, grinning through the ideas to colleagues, students and marine research initiatives supported temperate monsoon. stakeholders; the workshop was by the Pew Charitable Trust, and a The Fisheries Centre was remark- organised by Tony Charles, a Fellow number of new ventures relating to ably well represented at the meeting. who is also a member of Fisheries marine conservation. In confirmation of Its two Pew Fellows, Drs Centre International Advisory Council, a bright future, the Advisory Committee and Amanda Vincent, both partici- and stimulated by a presentation from then selected five new 2004 Fellows pated. Daniel Pauly attended as a Evelyn Pinkerton, an Adjunct Professor (whose names are still embargoed). member of the Pew Fellow Program’s of the Fisheries Centre. Third, Fellows Daniel Pauly’s five year tour of duty as Advisory (=Selection) Committee, and heard that their policy advice proferred Advisory Committee member thus also gave a plenary address on the at last year’s meeting in Bonaire had ended, although his participation in Sea Around Us Project. Andrew Trites borne fruit, in preventing the sale of the meetings will continue.