**5. Conservation strategy**

The preservation and utilization of biodiversity is referred to as conservation. The main factors affecting freshwater biodiversity loss include habitat degradation, overexploitation, water pollution, invasive species, and climate change [7]. The economic value of biodiversity loss is estimated to be 10 to 100 times larger than the cost of protection [42]. Indonesia has ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources to domestic regulations in order to participate in genetic resource conservation. These are crucial factors for a country participating in global frameworks for long-term development. When genetic resources are transferred to other countries through biopiracy and unsustainable uses, ensuring fair benefit-sharing is critical.

The government has released regulations for a material transfer agreement to preserve fish specimens analyzed and created overseas in the fisheries sector since 2010. It is critical to increase awareness, since technology advancements are likely to be used in biopiracy of material genetic information transmitted through digital sequence information. To conserve the diversity of genetic resources, it is necessary to anticipate this issue early. For example, in order to improve the identification of indigenous fish, DNA barcoding must be implemented [43]. This has been done in a number of economically important freshwater fish, including the snakehead *C. striata* [32, 35], Asian redtail catfish *Hemibagrus nemurus* [44], striped catfish *Pangasius hypophthalmus* [45], and African catfish *Clarias batrachus* [44].

Conservation-based fish genetics was carried out through the development of procedures based on quotas, licenses, distribution, monitoring, and assessment for the limited use of fish genetic resources. In the conservation of vulnerable endemic

#### *Sustainable Development: The Case for Aquatic Biodiversity in Indonesia's Peatland Areas DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105919*

freshwater fish, the government also backed the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). To safeguard native species, a regulation was also created to limit the spread of invasive species. There are a total of 145 invasive species that have been prohibited from entering the country. Similarly, the government has regulated the introduction of new aquaculture species to Indonesia. The new species must be recorded, approved, monitored, and evaluated on a regular basis. A fish restocking scheme was also implemented.

Freshwater habitat is one of the most threatened ecosystems because it competes directly with human use [46]. Between 1970 and 2014, the global trend of freshwater biodiversity dropped by 83 percent (Reid et al., 2019). In most Indonesian freshwaters, there has been a growing tendency of fish biodiversity loss. Between 1890 and 2010, the diversity of native freshwater species of the Ciliwung and Cisadane rivers in West Java province decreased by 92.5%, from 187 to 20 species, and 75.6%, from 135 to 39 species, respectively [47]. The number of fish in the Djuanda reservoir declined from 31 to 18 species over a 40-year period from 1968 to 2007, and the ratio of native to alien fish decreased as well [48]. In addition, 14 native freshwater species on Sumatra Island were classified as threatened, with seven of them being endemic to the island [49]. Muchlisin [50] also discovered more than 19 foreign species that have been introduced to Indonesian freshwater. The majority of fish are invasive and have a negative influence on native species in natural ecosystems. In Indonesian mahseer *Tor soro* and *Tor tambroides*, indigenous fish populations are declining [51]. *T. tambroides, Notopterus* spp., striped catfish *Pangasius nasutus*, mad barb *Leptobarbus hoevenii*, marble goby *Oxyeleotris marmorata*, and Dinema catfish *Belodontichthys dinema* [52].

As a result, freshwater fish biodiversity management has become a critical issue in Indonesia, as most aquatic freshwater resources have been overexploited, as it is seen by a growing number of vulnerable species. Conservation initiatives based on three target conservations, including species, habitat, and ecoregion, can be implemented to address this issue [53]. Aquaculture is one of the most advanced species conservation approaches for increasing fish biodiversity. A genetic improvement was primarily implemented in expediting fish breeding and improving fish production for the aquaculture program's success [44]. In 2018, aquaculture contributed roughly 57.14 percent (5.4 million tons) to overall fisheries production in Indonesia, and it is expected to continue to rise significantly in the future [31]. Despite the fact that Indonesia is one of the world's fifth largest aquaculture producers, Nile tilapia *O. niloticus*, African catfish *C. batrachus*, Thai striped catfish *P. hypophthalmus*, carp *Cyprinus carpio*, and giant gourami *O. goramy* have dominated the primary aquaculture production. Only the giant gourami is a native species among the five most popular. According to Gustiano et al. [54], Indonesian farmers have cultivated 30 freshwater species, but only 15 of them use national best aquaculture methods. It has been brought to our attention, and we are aware of it.

One of the in situ conservation projects is aquatic habitat conservation, which entails a variety of measures to safeguard threatened animal populations in their natural habitat and ensure ecosystem viability [55]. There are 131 water conservation areas covering 15.76 million hectares in the country, which are allocated among different levels of government [56]. However, marine and coastal habitats account for the majority of conservation areas, with inland waters like lakes and rivers accounting for fewer than 10%. The way freshwater environment conservation efforts are implemented varies by location. Fisheries sanctuaries have existed on the island of Sumatra for a long time, regulating local traditions. The majority of areas have not

been legally protected as a basic conservation need. However, in some locations, some local governments have begun to develop formal systems to identify conservation candidates [57]. The best conservation program for lake and reservoir ecosystems is habitat rehabilitation, whereas rivers, wetlands, and estuaries ecosystems are fisheries sanctuary, according to research in Sundaland seas comprising Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Bali [58].

Adrianto [59] suggested that integrating fish resource management with community socioeconomic well-being is a critical strategy for the success of Indonesia's fisheries conservation programs. Riepe et al. [60] have reported that a successful freshwater conservation program is based on an economic strategy in four European countries: Norway, Sweden, Germany, and France. The work enhanced the native fish population, water quality for domestic use, river accessibility, and electrical supply, all of which help the community greatly.

Ex situ conservation refers to the care and breeding of living animals outside of their natural habitat [55]. Ex situ conservation comprises wild species domestication and cultivation efforts. Domestication is a set of acts taken by humans to gradually adapt wild animals to living and breeding outside of their natural habitat under controlled conditions [61]. This primarily entails acclimating fish to new environmental settings, providing artificial feed responses and ensuring that they are capable of developing and sexually mature enough to produce characteristics. Domesticated fish can also have extra characteristics that are desirable to fish farmers, such as fast growth [62]. As a result, breeders must comprehend the domesticated species' biological and genetic performance, illness, and socioeconomic features (Fabrice, 2018). Focus group discussions can be used to consider which fish species should be considered for domestication [63, 64]. This program is critical for the development of aquaculturebased native species that are combined with tradition and local wisdom to help rural communities achieve food security and poverty alleviation [65]. Fish farmers have domesticated a small number of native freshwater fish for human consumption, including the silver barb (*Barbonymus gonionotus*), bonylip (*Osteochilus vittatus*), giant gourami (*O. goramy*), and kissing gourami (*Helostoma temminckii*) [31], but productivity remains low. The government, on the other hand, has been successful in releasing and promoting domesticated animals.
