Degradation of fishing grounds in North Waters of Banten Province, Indonesia

The high level of fishing activity with small fishing vessels has resulted in relatively high utilization of marine space in coastal areas, manifesting changes in fishing grounds. Thus, this research aimed to analyze water quality, fishing intensity and to determine the level of degradation of fishing grounds in the northern waters of Banten Province. This research was conducted from June to August 2023 in the northern waters of Banten Province. Data collection was carried out using survey, remote sensing, and interview methods. Water quality data consisting of sea surface temperature, brightness, salinity, light attenuation coefficient, total suspended solids


Introduction
Banten Province has large sea area with sizeable potential for capture fisheries, with its production in 2022 reaching 70.43 thousand tons and valuable up to 2.51 trillion rupiah.The city of Serang and Tangerang Regency, areas in the north of Banten Province, are the center of the capture fisheries business.In specific, the Karangantu Archipelago Fisheries Port and the Kronjo Fish Landing Base are the locations for loading and unloading catches (Hapsari et al., 2017;Limbong, 2020;Suherman et al., 2020;Yusfiandayani et al., 2020).Based on Karangantu Archipelago Fisheries Port data, there has been a decline in fish catches since 2018, which indicates the degradation of fishing grounds around the northern waters of Banten Province.Telussa et al. (2022) state that fishing grounds in the coastal waters of Tangerang Regency have experienced degradation due to high fishing activity.
Degradation of fishing grounds is a change in fishing locations, resulting in inefficient and ineffective fishing operations due to environmental pollution and high fishing activity (Simbolon, 2019;Telussa et al., 2022).Pollution of the aquatic environment greatly affects the habitat and behavior of fish.Studies of marine water quality, such as sea surface temperature, brightness, and salinity, can be used as indicators of water pollution (Hamuna et al., 2018).Polluted waters significantly decrease the size of fish worth catching, resulting in the degradation of fishing grounds (Sarianto et al., 2016;Senarat et al., 2020).Marine biota will experience stress caused by increasing temperatures and pollutant levels, which directly impacts the physiology of organisms and their survival (McCormick et al., 2020;Richmond et Depik Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Perairan, Pesisir dan Perikanan Volume 12, Number 3, Page 373-380 Limbong et al. (2023Limbong et al. ( ) al., 2018;;Akbar and Rahayu, 2023).According to Bhuiyan et al. (2022), changes in sea surface temperature can affect the rate of growth and reproduction of marine biota by changing the age of reproduction for the first time and reaching maturity at a smaller body size.Changes in other environmental parameters will indirectly impact individuals, species and communities, including changes in habitat or the quality of available resources.Species in the tropics are very sensitive to environmental changes (McCormick et al., 2020).In addition to environmental change factors, the degradation of fishing grounds is also influenced by fishing activities (Suebpala et al., 2017).
High fishing intensity will result in the degradation of fish resources.The high fishing intensity can threaten fisheries' sustainability (Stewart et al., 2010;Taurusman et al., 2018).Using excessive fishing gear to exploit fish resources causes population degradation in certain waters (Baisre, 2018;Darmawan et al., 2022;Humphries et al., 2019).The intensive use of fishing gear that is not environmentally sound causes changes in fish distribution and shifts in fishing areas resulting in the degradation of fishing grounds (Limbong et al., 2022;Selgrath et al., 2018;Telussa et al., 2022).The degradation of waters in Banten Bay has resulted in conflicts in the utilization of sea space, so the cooperation of all stakeholders in fisheries management is required (Cadith et al., 2019).Environmental sustainability must be considered in managing coastal areas to create a synergism of economic and social activities (Phuong and Pomeroy, 2023) and simultaneously maintain the income of small fishermen in coastal areas (Das, 2009;Royandi et al., 2019).The high level of environmental degradation in coastal areas requires efforts to improve its management so that fishermen's productivity does not decrease (Witomo, 2019).Management of fisheries in the northern waters of Banten Province is urgently needed to prevent ecosystem overfishing and Malthusian overfishing.Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the quality of the waters in the northern Province of Banten, to analyze the fishing intensity, and to determine the degree of degradation of fishing grounds.

Study area and data collection
This research was conducted from June to August 2023 in the northern waters of Banten Province (12 miles from the coastline) with the Karangantu Archipelago Fisheries Port and the Kronjo Fish Landing Base (Figure 1).The data collection method used in this research was a survey method and indepth interviews with fishing boat skippers and related agencies.The data collected in this study were fishing technology and intensity (fishing gear, vessels, fishing grounds), and environmental parameters of the waters (sea surface temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, light attenuation coefficient, water brightness, and total suspended solids).Water quality measurements were conducted using remote sensing techniques at the geometrically corrected address https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/and https://coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/erddap/index.html.Catch intensity data, such as eco-friendly fishing gear, were determined based on field observations.The provision of spatial scoring (241 points) for the operation of fishing gear based on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) criteria was carried out based on the results of interviews with 120 fishermen.Secondary data such as the number of fishing gear, the size and number of fishing vessels, and fishery production were soured from official publications regarding fisheries statistics in Banten Province.

Status of water pollution
Data analysis on the results of in situ measurements of water quality parameters was carried out descriptively according to the Decree of the Minister of Environment Number 51 of 2004.The formula used is:

Eco-friendly fishing gear
Analysis of eco-friendly fishing gear was carried out based on nine criteria according to the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF).CCRF is a series of criteria the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued to realize responsible fishing activities to conserve fish resources.The nine criteria in the CCRF have high selectivity, producing high-quality fish, habitat preservative, safe for fishermen, safe production for consumers, impact on biodiversity, limited by-catch, avoidance of protected fish, and socially acceptable.The scores and decisions on the level of environmental friendliness can be seen in Table 2.

Degradation's status of fishing ground
The determination of fishing ground degradation in the northern waters of Banten Province was based on water quality parameters and eco-friendly capture fisheries.Each parameter was analyzed partially with a scoring system, and the evaluation results were used to determine the fishing ground's degradation (Table 3).
The status of the combined weight value of the two parameters was grouped into three categories (Telussa et al., 2022), namely: 1.There is heavy degradation of fishing grounds, with a combined score (weight) in the range of 2-4. 2. There is slight degradation of fishing grounds, with a combined score (weight) in the range of 5-6. 3.There has been no degradation of the fishing grounds, with a combined score (weight) in the range of 7-8.

Spatial mapping of fishing ground's degradation
The spatial distribution of fishing ground degradation in the northern waters of Banten Province was mapped using a marine Geographic Information System (GIS).Using GIS, spatial mapping utilized geoprocessing, consisting of buffers, clips, merges, dissolves, and interpolations (Limbong, 2020;Suhelmi et al., 2015).GIS software was used to create digital thematic maps and spatial distribution.The steps taken for marine GIS were: 1. Digitization: The digitization stages in this study were carried out directly on a computer screen.2. Compile spatial data: Convert raster data to vector data, and then saved the in shapefile format (*.shp).3. Editing of vector, attribute, and raster data: The editing process for handling spatial data, especially vector, attribute, and rater data, were carried out to update and to improve the existing data.4. Map layout: Making a map of layout functions, so that the map meet cartographic requirements.

Quality of northern waters of Banten Province
The parameter of chlorophyll-a concentration in the northern waters of Banten Province has a range of 0.25-4.97mgL -1 with an average of 1.26±1.20 mgL -1 .The light attenuation coefficient is 0.047-3.521m -1 , with an average value of 0.289±0.500m -1 .The parameter range for the brightness of the northern waters of Banten Province is 0.28-21.27m with an average of 9.05±5.36m.Forty-six sampling locations have a water brightness value below the seawater quality standard, less than 3 m.The total suspended solids value of the northern waters of Banten Province has a range of 1.27-144.66mgL -1 with an average of 20.67±14.61mgL -1 .The results shows that 2 sampling locations have total suspended density values of water above the seawater quality standard for biota.The range of sea surface temperature in the northern waters of Banten Province is in the range of 29.28-30.20 o C with an average of around 30.12±0.21 o C.Meanwhile, the water's salinity value is 32.51-32.94‰ with the average value of 32.76±0.07‰.The value of water quality parameters in the north of Banten Province can be seen in Table 4, in which they are generally included as in the water quality standard limits for marine life.The pollution index, according to the Decree of the State Minister for the Environment Number 115 of 2003, should be in the range of 0.70-7.47.Pollution status in the northern waters of Banten Province is in good condition (≤1) (205 sampling points), lightly polluted (33 sampling points) and moderately polluted (3 sampling points).

Fishing gear in the north waters of Banten Province
Types of fishing gear operated by fishermen in the northern waters of Banten Province and landing their catch at Karangantu Archipelago Fisheries Port and the Kronjo Fish Landing Base are gillnets, seine nets, lift nets, boat lift nets, traps, mini bottom trawls, set nets, handlines, crab nets, bottom gill net, danish seine, and dredge net.The assessment of all fishing gear based on CCRF can be seen in Table 5. Gillnets, traps, handlines, and boat lift nets are classified as very eco-friendly fishing gear.The set nets, seine nets, lift nets, crab nets, and bottom gillnets are included in the eco-friendly fishing gear category.Meanwhile, mini bottom trawls, Danish seine, and dredge nets are classified as fishing gear that is not eco-friendly.The mini bottom trawls and Danish seine are not recorded in the fishery's statistical data but are still landing catches at Karangantu Archipelago Fisheries Port and the Kronjo Fish Landing Base.Fishermen who operate mini bottom trawls and Danish seine in the northern waters of Banten Province are originated from East and Central Java.

Degradation of fishing grounds in the north waters of Banten Province
The area of the northern waters of Banten Province, with the measurement of 12 miles from the coastline, reaches 268,122.15ha.The fishing grounds that have experienced severe degradation are around 20,669.84 ha (7.71%), while the fishing grounds that experienced mild degradation are around 49,018.57ha (18.28%).The waters in the north of Banten Province are still dominated by fishing grounds that have yet to occur degradation, around 198,433.74 ha (74.01%).
Water areas that have experienced fishing grounds degradation in the north of Banten Province are concentrated in the waters of Banten Bay to Ketapang waters (Figure 2).Factors causing fishing ground degradation are the impact of frequent fishing gear use and fishing gear that is not eco-  Limbong et al. (2023) friendly.Degradation of fishing in the northern waters of Banten Province causes the production value of catches to decrease and impacts the welfare of fishermen.The marine space in the northern waters of Banten Province is used by 19 fishermen per hectare, a fishing vessel of about 62 units per hectare, and the operation of 50 units fishing gear per hectare.

Discussion
The concentration of water chlorophyll-a is an indicator of fertility useful for marine life.The value of chlorophyll-a concentration in the northern waters of Banten Province is static within the limits of seawater quality standards, especially for coastal areas.The value of chlorophyll-a will be potentially higher in coastal areas, influenced by land activities, and conversely, it will decrease towards the open sea (Riandi et al., 2023;Wang et al., 2015;Yang and Ye, 2022).The concentration of chlorophyll-a in the waters of Tangerang Regency, which receives a lot of water input from rivers, is able to reach 9.11 mgL -1 (Limbong, 2020;Telussa et al., 2022).Based on the average value of chlorophyll-a, the northern waters of Banten Province can be classified as fertile.Water areas that receive water from rivers carry nutrients to the sea, producing high chlorophyll content.According to Kasim et al. (2014), the concentration of chlorophyll-a significantly affects pelagic fish catches in the Java Sea.
The light attenuation coefficient value and the water' brightness in the northern province of Banten are still in good condition, referring to seawater quality standards.The light attenuation coefficient values and the water brightness, below the threshold for seawater quality standards, are generally located around river mouths.Similar result is also found on the estuary coast of Banyuasin Regency, where the lowest water brightness level was in the range of 0.28 m (Rais et al., 2017), around 0.50 m in Tangerang Regency waters (Telussa et al., 2022), around 1.40 m in the waters of the Banten Bay (Hilmira, 2020), and about 0.19 in the lower waters of the Cibanten River which empties into the waters of the Banten Bay (Khalifa and Indaryato, 2018).Variations in the brightness level of water affect the presence of species and the number of biota.Water conditions with low brightness (turbid) and low dissolved oxygen content affect economic activity, especially fishing (Amri et al., 2018;Febriyani et al., 2022).The light attenuation coefficient measures the transparency of the medium in which indicates water quality, where degradation occurs due to anthropogenic disturbances (Rodríguez-López et al., 2022).Thus, determining production processes in the sea is vital (Kim et al., 2018).
The value of total suspended solids and sea surface temperature in the northern waters of Banten Province is good for marine life.The value of total suspended solids in the northern waters of Banten Province is almost similar as a study conducted by Rahmawati and Surilayani (2017) in the coastal waters of Lontar Village, Banten, within the range of 16-130 mgL -1 .According to a study by Rustam et al. (2018), the average total suspended solids in Banten Bay waters is around 29 mgL -1 , and even the total suspended solids value in Tanjung Pasir waters is relatively low (clear) and not cloudy (Rachman and Armono, 2023).The parameters of sea surface temperature (SST) are still following the quality standard range (28-32 o C).Consequently, they can still support the life of biota in the northern waters of Banten Province.Similar result is also found by the study conducted Fitranti et al. (2013).The study results that the SST in Banten Bay waters is around 30.85 o C, and 29-32 o C around Tunda Island in Banten Bay (Dedi et al., 2016).The salinity parameter does not meet following standard threshold for seawater quality (34 ppm).Nonetheless, The value covers normal limits for biota in shallow water areas as the northern waters of Banten Province receive a lot of input from numerous rivers.The range of salinity in Banten Bay waters ranges from 30.41-33.48 ppm (Fitranti et al., 2013), and 31.1-32.3ppm in Tangerang Regency waters (Telussa et al., 2022).
The mini bottom trawls, dredge nets and Danish seine are not eco-friendly fishing gears.They are still being used in the northern waters of Banten Province.Even though the ban on this gear has been enforced through the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 2 of 2015, fishermen operating mini bottom trawls, Danish  Limbong et al. (2023) seine and dredge nets are still found in the field.Fishermen that use mini bottom trawls in Banten Bay and Tangerang Regency waters already understand the negative impact of their operations on the environment, but have no other options to meet their daily needs (Limbong, 2020;Limbong et al., 2022;Telussa et al., 2022).According to Noviyanti (2017), as fishermen in Banten Bay realize the need for sustainable fishing, they try to adapt in using ecofriendly fishing gear.
Seine nets, traps, bottom gillnets, set nets and crab nets are included in the eco-friendly fishing gear as they are also acceptable to the community.Seine nets are eco-friendly fishing gear because they are undangerous for fishermen and consumers, and avoid catching protected biota (Febiyanti et al., 2012;Nanlohy, 2013).However, according to Amry et al. (2017), seine nets fishing gear in the waters of Malabero Beach is a fishing tool that is not ecofriendly due to their ability to catch fish that have yet to mature.
Gillnets, traps, handlines, and boat lift nets are fishing gear that is very friendly to the environment because they have high selectivity values, do not damage fish habitat, and are not harmful to fishermen.Gillnets, traps, handlines are highly selective regarding the size of fish caught, so these types of fishing gear are highly recommended for use by fishermen (Chaliluddin et al., 2019;Kholis et al., 2020;Tuasikal, 2020).Handlines are the fishing gear with the highest score based on the CCRF assessment compared to all fishing gear that lands catches in Karangantu Archipelago Fisheries Port.Handlines are very selective fishing gear, safe for fishermen to operate, do not damage habitats, and do not catch protected biota (Limbong et al., 2022;Limbong and Syafrie, 2018;Telussa et al., 2022).According to Simbolon et al. (2022), uniform handline catches of both types and sizes will maintain the sustainability of ecosystems and stocks of fish resources.
Degradation of the aquatic environment directly impacts fishing grounds, both caused by water pollution and high fishing activity.Coastal activities with small-scale fisheries are important in maintaining fisheries sustainability (Warren and Steenbergen, 2021).Fishing ground degradation in the waters of Tangerang Regency occurs due to high fishing intensity and Danish seine usage around the coast (Telussa et al., 2022).Jakarta Bay waters have experienced degradation of fish resources and the aquatic environment caused by water pollution and damage to mangrove ecosystems (Nugraha et al., 2020).The status of demersal fish resources in the coastal waters of Indramayu Regency has experienced overfishing, and resource degradation has occurred (Yulianto et al., 2016).High intensity of fishing for large pelagic fish in the waters of Sambas Regency has resulted in degradation of fish resources (Saifullah et al., 2017).Several studies on the coast of the Java Sea concluded that environmental degradation is increasing, causing fishing ground degradation and impacting fishermen's welfare.
The impact of environmental degradation in coastal areas on the lives of coastal communities results a decrease in fishermen's catches and a shift in fishermen's livelihoods (Mustika, 2017).Proper management of the aquatic environment certainly and positively impact the sustainability of fishery resources in the future.High fish catch production has a positive impact at the moment, but reducing income and food security (Wijayanto et al., 2020).Freduah et al. (2017) state that changes in aquatic environment does affect catches, in which the decline in fishery production will greatly impact small-scale fishermen.

Conclusion
The quality of the waters in the north of Banten Province meets seawater quality standards, or in good condition.Nevertheless, several locations nearby fish landing activities have begun to be polluted, such as around the Karangantu Archipelago Fisheries Port and the Kronjo Fish Landing Base.Fishing gear that is not friendly to the environment, such as mini bottom trawls, dredge nets and Danish seine, is still operating in the northern waters of Banten Province.The northern waters of Banten Province have experienced degradation of the light category of fishing areas, around 49,018.57ha, and around 20,669.84 ha of severely degraded, which is caused by the intensity of fishing and the operation of fishing gear that is not eco-friendly to the environment.The utilization of sea space for capture fisheries in the northern waters of Banten Province is quite high, where the operation of fishing gear is 50 units per hectare.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Map of research locations in the northern waters of Banten Province.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Spatial distribution of fishing ground degradation in the northern waters of Banten Province.
This research activity is Basic Research assistance from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology for the 2023 fiscal year with contract number 102/E5/PG.02.00.PL/2023.Thank you to the Directorate of Research and Innovation IPB University and the Marine Fisheries Technology Study Program for assisting the research and the writing of this research article.

Table 1 .
Lij)M : Maximum Ci/Lij value; (Ci/Lij)R : Average Ci/Lij value.The relationship between the pollution level and the pollution index criteria is determined according to the Decree of the State Minister for the Environment Number 115 of 2003 concerning the Determination of Water Quality Status.The weight value of each pollution index category can be seen in Table1.Score value and water pollution index.

Table 2 .
Scoring value and decision on the level of environmental friendliness.

Table 3 .
The combined weight value of fishing ground's degradation in the northern waters of Banten Province.

Table 4 .
Value of water quality in the northern waters of Banten Province.

Table 5 .
Fishing gear category based on CCRF criteria.