The "Loss" of Fish Culinary Traditions in South Sumatra

• Freshwater fish populations in the wetlands of Ogan Ilir [OI] and Ogan Komering Ilir [OKI] Regencies, South Sumatra, continue to decrease. As a result of changes in the landscape, a number of culinary fish are threatened with disappearance.

• The culinary traditions of fish that are in danger of being lost include sale fish, salted fish, pekasam and crackers.

• Before turning into oil palm plantations and infrastructure, the wetlands in OI and OKI districts were centers of freshwater fish. For example baung, lais, cork, toman, and seluang.

• OI Regency remains a fish production center. But most of them are pond fish, such as catfish, tilapia , and catfish.

A number of hamlets in the wetland area of ​​Ogan Ilir [OI] and Ogan Komering Ilir [OKI] Regencies, South Sumatra, are centers for freshwater fish. Changes in the landscape make fish populations continue to decrease. A number of fish culinary traditions are also in danger of being lost.

“According to ikan and lais it is extremely difficult to sell smoked fish. Now, many people here make sale fish using catfish or pond catfish,” said Lithan [68], Head of the Farmers Group in Muara Penimbung Ulu Village, Ogan Ilir Regency, South Sumatra, January 27 2023.

He explained "there's also "tilapia" a type of salted fish that use pond fish for convenience.

“But the taste is different and the fans are few. So, can this tradition disappear along with the loss of freshwater fish?”

Lithan explained, Muara Penimbung Ulu Village, which used to be a fish center in Ogan Ilir Regency, began to experience a fish crisis. “In the past, finding baung, lais and seluang fish in the Kelekar River was so easy. During the season, every day we get 10 kilograms of lais or baung fish. Now three kilograms is amazing.”

Baung fish and lais fish are sold by the people in Muara Penimbung Ulu Village for around IDR 70-80 thousand per kilogram. "According to him, the price is actually decent but it is very difficult to catch that fish so usually people who are selling freshwater fishes earns more than us.

Of the 408 heads of families or 1,482 inhabitants of Muara Penimbung Ulu Village, there are around 20 heads of families who depend on fish.

In past every family living in this village used fish and paddy fields to survive", now those who lost paddy fields are only surviving through fishes.

Also Read: KNTI Reveals Almost 80% of Small Fishermen have poor education

Fish galore

Muara Penimbung Ulu village covers about 621 hectares. Most of the area is wetland, in the form of peat swamps.

“In the past, people here lived on rice and fish, back then there only source of income is that. Live in prosperity,” said Hermalia [63], a resident of Dusun IV, Muara Penimbung Village.

The abundance of fish produce makes residents use it for a number of culinary delights. Such as sale fish, salted fish, pekasam [fermented fish], and crackers.

"While for daily consumption boiled pindang."

"So the residents' income is not only from selling fresh fish, but also from managing fish such as sale fish, salted fish, pekasam and crackers," said Hermalia, who has migrated to Malaysia for dozens of years.

"After being sold and eaten, All the fish that is prepared into a number of culinary delights are the rest of the catch, after being sold and eaten. It means nothing is thrown away.”

For example, baung fish and lais. Fish that are found in certain seasons in the river, namely during the dry season, are processed into sale fish. Meanwhile, fish from paddy fields and swamps, such as sepat and cork, are used as salted fish.

Please pay attention to this: "Small fish that are tough/hard to sell, are turned into pekasem, which is actually ermented fish with the help of rice,"

Destruction of natural landscapes

Bunyamin [50], a river fisherman in Muara Penimbung Ulu Village, estimates that the reduced fish population in his village is due to the fact that many swamps or swamps have turned into oil palm plantations or settlements.

" he then added apart from that, the upstream area of ​​the Kelekar River has graced a sugarcane plantation,"

"In fact, the valleys have been the places for fish to lay eggs and find food," he continued.

The existence of the [Palembang-Lampung] toll road that crosses several wetland areas in OI and OKI Regencies, has cut off the flow of water in a number of swamps.

“Many fish can no longer go home [upstream] here. This is because the route is cut off by the toll road pillars. It is true that there has been a decrease in the number of fish in the last two years," said Bunyamin.

Candra [42], a resident of Menang Raya Village, Pedamaran, OKI District, said that since the toll road was built, the rawang [peat swamp] where purun grows, the water has not moved. It doesn't ebb and it doesn't overflow.

"Unfortunately the big fishes in the ponds and rivers are now disappearing such as baung and lais."

Candra, apart from being a palm fruit collector, also catches fish in the Sejuang area, Pedamaran. He used dozens of powders to find fish.

"fish are acquired in the Range April or the dry season"