Mariculture development opportunities in SE Sulawesi, Indonesia

South East Sulawesi has an abundance of sheltered bays and natural resources to sustain aquaculture development. The mariculture activities underway in Kendari Bay, one of the main production centres, are reviewed. Grouper farming is one of the most popular mariculture activities in the Kendari region, with the main cultivated species being mouse grouper Cromileptes altivelis, tiger grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus and greasy grouper, E. tauvina. Fingerlings are sourced from hatcheries in Situbondo, Java and Bali and fattened in small scale cages for export live to Hong Kong. Spiny lobster Panilurus versicolor farming is also conducted in small scale cages using wild caught seed collected through a tribal artisanal fishery in waters surrounding the Tiworo Islands. Seaweed farming, principally Kappaphycus cottoni, is also a predominant activity due to the accessibility of protected inshore waters, ideal ambient environmental conditions, low capital requirements and strong market demand. Seaweed harvests have been affected by disease problems including 'ice-ice' disease caused by reduced salinity from freshwater run off into the bay. An ACIAR project in South East Sulawesi is conducting a scoping study to facilitate local leadership and support for mariculture development, identify opportunities for adopting market driven agribusiness approaches to development for small scale farmers, and to prepare and industry development strategy with the local stakeholder network.