Invertebrate Gleaning: Forgotten Fisheries

Abstract

Gleaning is important for the food security of many coastal communities, but data and information on these fisheries are extremely limited. Invertebrate gleaning is a popular fishing method in Bulukumba, Indonesia. The gleaners in Bulukumba recognised only one type, general gleaning. During general gleaning (2-4 hours), all species found will be collected. Women (95%) were more dominant than men (5%). The majority of gleaners utilize catch gleaning for food (62%) and a substantial majority for income (38%). A total of 15 species were collected and identified from gleaning catches, with 2.936 individual items. Gastropods were the dominated group (82.31%) followed by bivalves (7.36%), crustaceans (1.22%) and echinoderms (9.12%). Chicoreus brunneus was the dominant species in all gleaning sites except in Sama Bahari village, where the catch was dominated by Canarium urceus. Invertebrate gleaning plays an important role in providing food and income to coastal communities.