THE SPIRIT OF GOROM ISLAND WOMEN IN PROCESSING FISHERY PRODUCTS
By: Aliana Nafsal - Fisheries Officer Inner Banda Arc Seascape
For 3 days (September 30 - October 2, 2018) WWF-Indonesia as an implementing partner of the USAID Sustainable Ecosystems Advanced (SEA) Project conducted training on fishery product processing in Aroa Administrative Village, Gorom Island District, East Seram Regency, Maluku Province. This activity involved participants from the Watu Mariri group.
The total number of participants in this fishery product processing training was 20 people from the Watu Mariri Group (Aroa administrative village community). The speaker of this fishery product processing training activity from the Office of Fisheries Training and Extension Center (BP3) Ambon amounted to 1 person and the technical assistant of this activity was 4 people from WWF-Indonesia.
Watu Mariri fishermen group is a fishermen group assisted by WWF-Indonesia which was established on October 3, 2016 in Aroa hamlet, Gorom Island District, East Seram Regency. This group has been authorized by the Wanu Atalo'a Customary Institution through Decree Number: 03/October/2016 and the Head of the Kataloka State Government through Decree Number: 140/21/KTL/2017.
Watu Mariri means unity. It literally means maintaining unity and protecting members as well as the coastal and marine environment. To date, the group has 49 members and is dominated by the wives of the fishermen of Aroa hamlet.
In addition to fishing, another business developed by the Watu Mariri group is the processing of julung-julung fish commodities (Hemirhamphus sp). One of them is processed with sambal roa. In addition, the members, who are dominated by women, established a cooperative by selling staples to the surrounding hamlets where they live.
The training began with a speech by Aliana Nafsal (Fisheries Officer) that the fish in Petuanan Kataloka is very abundant, so that when in the process of catching using gill nets or other environmentally friendly fishing gear in large quantities and in fresh form, it is necessary to process the fish in order to increase the selling value of the fish.
The abundance of fish in the village makes it necessary to conduct training on processing fishery products. This training is about how to process fish into shredded fish and fish nuggets that are not only for consumption but can be marketed. The purpose of this training activity is to provide knowledge to all Kataloka communities, especially the Watu Mariri group on how to process fish into quality products so that they have a high selling price. After the opening process of the activity, a symbolic handover of practical equipment was carried out to one of the trainees as well as embedding the tool.
This training was carried out for 3 days, the first day was the provision of material about shredded fish then continued with the practice of how to process it. The second day of material and practice on labeling and packing shredded fish. After that, continued with the provision of material and practice of processing fish nuggets and did not miss the practice of labeling and packing by the speaker. Then on the 3rd day was a little different, the trainer gave directions on how to price a product by considering several aspects and finally how to market the product itself (marketing).
In providing material and practice of shredded fish and fish nuggets, the women participants were very enthusiastic in following it. This was said by one of the participants named Neng that they were very happy with the implementation of this activity, because on the first day of the material about shredded fish which they usually do making shredded fish takes a long time (6 hours of stirring shredded until dry), now after they practiced it only takes 2 hours. This is due to the fish containing a lot of water so that after steaming it must be squeezed to remove the water. Then the coconut milk used is only thick coconut milk, so the time used to stir the shredded is faster. Finally, Watu Mariri members, who are dominated by the wives of fishermen, know that fish is full of protein and does not cause a lot of worms in children's bodies.
According to one of the participants by the name of Arinta, the second day of training was even more interesting, because processing fish nuggets was new to the participants. The process of making nuggets is relatively fast and can be produced in large quantities. Nuggets are in demand by many people, especially children. And can be used at birthday parties or weddings, especially when the fisherman's event brings a lot of results.
All equipment used during the fish processing process must be clean and not rusty. To maintain that the final product produced reaches consumers and can be enjoyed healthily, the steps that need to be taken by producers are the use of raw materials according to standards (fresh fish, and using clean and non-rusting equipment, wearing masks and gloves).
The practice of weighing fish after being separated from bones and black meat.
At the time of closing the activity was attended by Aroa Administrative Village Officials, Gorom Island Sub-District Head and PKK Chairwoman along with members, in her speech the Sub-District Head, Mrs. Mega Rodyah R Wattimena said that this activity was very much appreciated and in the use of village funds later should not only be used for the construction of footpaths, but the flow is used for trainings such as those conducted by WWF Indonesia for 3 days, because this can improve the family economy.
"We, from the sub-district, representing the PKK, asked the women of the Watu Mariri group to make 15 packs of fish floss and 10 packs of nuggets to be marketed in Bula during the PKK Anniversary of East Seram Regency" said Mrs. Mega.
The sub-district head also said that training like this should be held in other places such as Grogos Island, because we know that Grogos Island is an area that has a lot of fish and the people there are also 100% fishermen. We strongly support fishery product processing training like this because it can increase the knowledge of fisherwomen and can be directly practiced to increase family income.
.