Utilization of Marine Geospatial Data for Determining Optimal FAD Locations in Improving the Living Standards of the North Gorontalo Coastal Community

The use of fishing aids called Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) has become a polemic in the context of realizing sustainable fisheries management. On the one hand, the use of FADs can increase fishermen’s catches. However, on the other hand, the use of FADs without proper management will result in unsustainable fish availability due to overfishing. The FADs used are also not always correlated with increased catches. At certain times, FADs used by fishermen can be lost because they are carried away by the current, which is clearly very detrimental to both fishermen and the environment. Utilization of geospatial information is one of the efforts to connect existing policies regarding the use of FADs, safety aspects, and optimizing the number of fishermen’s catches. The main focus of this study is the utilization of geospatial information such as the modeling of ocean currents, analysis of potential fishing zones, analysis of sea depth positions, and analysis of prohibited zones for the placement of FADs. The model and policy analysis results are used to determine recommendations for the optimal placement of FADs in the northern sea of the province of Gorontalo. In this study, an analysis of the influence of FADs on the economy of the community, especially the coastal community of North Gorontalo Regency, was also carried out. Recommended areas for FAD placement are divided into class 1 (low recommendation), class 2 (medium recommendation), and class 3 (high recommendation). The results of the recommendation for FAD placement areas resulted in 5 FADs being in the level 1 area, 27 FADs being in the level 2 area, and 6 FADs being in the level 3 area. Installed FADs cannot be moved to a different location because the installation is permanent. The findings of this study will help those who install new FADs to decide on a secure site for their installation. By paying attention to the shape of FADs, fishing gear, and the conditions of placement of existing FADs, it can be analyzed that the main catch targets of fishermen are pelagic (pelagic) fish, which is evidenced by the catches of fishermen in North Gorontalo Regency, which are dominated by large pelagic fish and small pelagic fish with a total catch of 21,535,604 kg. in 2021. Thus, it can be inferred that FADs have a significant role in supporting the economy that revolves around fishers, especially in North Gorontalo Regency, and with the stock of pelagic fish, which is still relatively high, it is possible to support the economy of the people of North Gorontalo Regency in the long term.