Highlight from the June issue of the AFS journal, Asian Fisheries Science.
30 Jul, 2024

Here we highlight two articles of note from the June issue of the AFS journal, Asian Fisheries Science: one on examining export opportunities and power dynamics in Indonesian fisheries; and the second on fish protein as potential fish albumin source for sperm capacitation.

1. Nasution et al. 2024. Opportunity to Export Fish Directly From the Outermost Islands of Indonesia: Exploring Value Chain and Power Dynamics in Fisheries.
   Asian Fisheries Science 37. https://doi.org/10.33997/j.afs.2024.37.2.003

This research investigates the challenges faced by fishers in Indonesia's remote islands, where abundant catches are constrained by limited local market capacity. It explores the fishing value chain dynamics and the potential for direct fish exports from these islands to other destinations, bypassing intermediaries. It identifies congestion in the current value chain and the vulnerabilities of fishers, and highlights opportunities for direct exports to enhance economic development in these remote regions.

2. Setiawan et al. 2024. Snakehead Fish, Channa striata (Bloch, 1973), Protein Concentrate: Excellent Recovery of Fish-Based Albumin Source and Its Possible Application for Sperm Capacitation.
   Asian Fisheries Science 37. https://doi.org/10.33997/j.afs.2024.37.2.005

This study on snakehead fish protein concentrate (SFC) demonstrates its potential for high albumin recovery, crucial for applications such as sperm capacitation. The best results were achieved with acid solvent and mild heating. Major protein bands were identified containing significant albumin proportions. Further research is needed to enhance purification methods and assess SFC's efficacy as an alternative albumin source for enhancing sperm capacitation.