JURNAL BIOLOGI PAPUA ISSN 2086-3314 Vol 12, No 1, Halaman: 59–67 E-ISSN 2503-0450 April 2020 DOI: 10.31957/jbp.476 http://ejournal.uncen.ac.id/index.php/JBP Kearifan Lokal Perlindungan Ikan Arwana Irian (Scleropages jardinii, Saville-Kent 1892) di Merauke, Papua I KETUT D. PUTRA 1 , HENDERITE L. OHEE 2, *, LISYE I. ZEBUA 3 1 Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Papua 2 Progam Studi Magister Biologi, FMIPA, Universitas Cenderawasih, Jayapura 3 Progam Studi Biologi, Jurusan Biologi, FMIPA, Universitas Cenderawasih, Jayapura Diterima: 22 Desember 2018 – Disetujui: 20 Desember 2019 © 2020 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA Universitas Cenderawasih ABSTRACT Australian bonytongue (Scleropages jardinii) is an endemic species of Papua. The distribution area of this fish are north Australia and central-southern New Guinea. In Papua, this species can be found in Merauke, Boven Digoel and Mappi. This fish is protected by Indonesian law and decided as hunting animal by Ministry of Forestry’s decree Number: 2091/Kpts-II/2001. Traditionally, the fish and other natural sources are protected by community of Yeinan tribal in Erambu and Toray Villages who reside along Wanggo River, tributary of Maro River, Merauke. The purpose of this research is to understand local knowledge and practices of protecting and collecting fish by local people of Villages of Erambu and Toray. The research was conducted in Wanggo River, Erambu and Toray Villages, Merauke on September 2017-April 2018. Data and information on this local knowledge and practice were collected through observation and interview to key and base informants using questionnaire. The research envisages that there are five local knowledges and practices exist in relation to the protection and the process of collecting Australian bonytongue; they are traditional rules, traditional protection, sasi protection, area based collection and collection as traditional practice. People of Yeinan tribal group in these two villages are maintaining these rules to date to protect the fish. These local knowledge and traditional practices contain local conservation values which have been passing down from generation to generation. Key words: local knowledge; Merauke; protection; S. jardinii; Wanggo River. PENDAHULUAN Keanekaragaman hayati ikan air tawar New Guinea mencapai 400 jenis, dua kali lebih banyak dari Australia (Allen et al., 2000). Ikan-ikan air tawar New Guinea menyebar di tujuh subprovinsi zoogeografi yang berbeda yaitu Utara, Selatan, Semenanjung Vogelkop, Pulau-pulau di barat, Timur Papua: sisi selatan, Bagian atas Purari- Kikori (Allen, 1991). Sebelah Selatan New Guinea memiliki ukuran yang hampir sama dengan Utara New Guinea, dan bagian ini pernah terhubung dengan benua Australia sehingga kedua bagian ini berbagi 33 jenis ikan yang sama (Allen, 1991; Allen et al., 2000). Ohee (2017) mencatat 50 jenis ikan yang terdiri dari 44 jenis asli dan enam jenis ikan introduksi, yang termasuk dalam 29 famili dan 39 genera dari Timika, Asmat, Boven Digoel, Mappi dan Merauke di Selatan Papua. Salah satu jenis ikan yang hanya menyebar di Selatan New Guinea adalah Ikan Arwana Irian, Australian bonytongue (Scleropages jardinii, Saville-Kent, 1892). Ikan ini menyebar luas yaitu di Asia dan Oceania: Utara Australia dan Tengah- Selatan New Guinea (Allen, 1991). Di Papua, ikan ini menyebar di Merauke, Boven Digoel, Mappi. Sungai Wanggo, salah satu cabang Sungai Maro di * Alamat korespondensi: 1) Progam Studi Farmasi, Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu pengetahuan Alam, Universitas Cenderawasih, Jayapura. Jl. Kamp Wolker, Perumnas 3, Waena Jayapura, Papua. E-mail: ranidp2987@gmail.com