Brackish water fisheries production

Evaluation covers the period ll/76-8/81; is based on document review, site visits, and interviews with fish farmers and government personnel; and concentrates on activities in Aceh and North Sumatra Provinces. Despite its quantitative success, the project has been a disappointment. All eight targeted fish pond demonstration units were constructed in the two provinces, but one was returned to the original landowner, two are leaking because of poor contruction, and the others are understaffed. Field trials have occurred at only two units. Provision of credit, only 40% of target during the project"s first 2 years, has increased and credit now totals $5.6 million for tambak intensification in Aceh and $123,000 for fish pond construction in North Sumatra. For tambak activities, however, the loan qualification process is cumbersome, loan costs are high, and the default rate is near 40%, in part because farmers view the loans as a subsidy or transfer payment. In Aceh, fish production had increased to 8,000 metric tons (MT) of milkfish and 2,400 MT of shrimp by 1979, exceeding production goals and creating an oversupply of milkfish and the need for a milkfish marketing study. In North Sumatra, tambak expansion covering 300 ha is in various stages of development, as planned. Other outputs included the apparent creation of substantial employment in Aceh and, in North Sumatra, completion of a marketing study and of construction plans for a field trial facility and initiation of a shrimp hatchery feasibility study. Overall, the project had overly ambitious goals and received insufficient support from both A.I.D. and the Government of Indonesia (GOI) in what is essentially a long-term enterprise. Although training exceeded target, a shortage of trained GOI manpower, especially in North Sumatra, has been a persistent problem, and infrastructure development is still quite limited. Given the GOI"s future plans for brakish water fisheries development, A.I.D. should not continue to be involved in this area unless it is willing to make a large, long-term investment. It is recommended that a sociologist be hired to study the current project.