Sharks and rays (elasmobranch) are key species in marine ecosystems whose existence is now threatened due to over-exploitation. To trace the supply chain for shark and ray trade, the Rekam Nusantara Foundation unit te Fisheries Resource Center of Indonesia (FRCI) conducted a simultaneous survey on August 2-11 2023 at the 3 main shark landing locations in Indonesia, namely the North Coast of Java, Aceh, and Tanjung Luar and Gili Maringkik, Lombok.

The survey in Aceh Province was conducted to collect information about the supply of the traded shark and ray meat, represented by 5 districts/cities namely Banda Aceh, West Aceh, Southwest Aceh, East Aceh, and Aceh Jaya, as well as Medan as the receiving location for shark/ray products from Aceh. The interviewees came from Business Actors, Fishers and Sellers at the Fish Market. The business actors interviewed were those who already had a utilization permit for shark/ray species, while the fishers interviewed were target and non-target fishers.

Based on survey results, shark and ray meat is supplied outside Aceh province and inside Aceh province. Generally, shark and ray meat supplied outside the province has been processed (salted meat), and are bound for Medan (Kabanjahe and Sidikalang). Meanwhile, the meat sent to the Aceh province is still raw, sourced from Sibolga and is only accommodated in the city of Banda Aceh to be used for local consumption as one of the ingredients for processed meatballs. There are also some traders who sell it to the public and to food stalls to be cooked into a typical Acehnese shark gulai.

Meanwhile, surveys on elasmobranch trade and fisheries on the North Coast of Java were conducted in Indramayu, Tegal, Demak, Lamongan, Batang, Pemalang, Kendal, and Surabaya. In this activity, the visitations and interviews were conducted on fishers, shark processors (salting, smoking, pindang), small companies, and fisheries ports. The surveys were supported by port officials, fisheries extension officers, and the Marine and Fisheries Agency.

The survey in Tanjung Luar and Gili Maringkik, Lombok was carried out by observing shark auction activities at the Fish Auction Place (TPI), followed by a survey of shark fishers. A survey was also carried out to business actors to identify the supply chain of shark products, as well as discussions with Fisheries Port and TPI supervisors regarding the sale and purchase/auction of sharks in Tanjung Luar.

Through this survey, it is hoped that we can gain information regarding the supply chain of shark and ray products in Indonesia to improve the traceability of fishery products and support the sustainable management of elasmobranchs.