[Unpad.ac.id, 28/12/2015] To continue introducing and improving existence of betta fishes, Students of Community Aquaculture (Karamba) Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK) Padjadjaran University in collaboration with Parahyangan Betta Community (PBC) held a national betta fish contest at the Higenis Fish Market Gede Bage Bandung on 19-20 December 2015.
This betta fish contest was the second one held by Karamba FPIK Unpad. With a Betta fish national contest, it is expected that Betta fishes popularity is increasing so that they are no longer regarded as cheap fishes, but already as fishes that have important economic value. Thus, it is expected that betta fish could be a leading commodity sector of ornamental fish in Indonesia.
Betta fish contest was also expected to boost the production of Betta fish quality, so that Betta fish in Indonesia may be able to compete in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) later.
“In addition, with the Betta fish contest, it could increase value of local economy for betta fish farmers, cultivating its natural feed, for hobbyists and other parties are certainly in tune with concept of betta fish contest ‘From Betta To Million'”, said Akhmad Hafiz Kurniawan as the chairman of this betta fish contest.
The contest was attended by participants from various cities in Indonesia, Jakarta, Tangerang, Bandung, Semarang, Pontianak, also participants from abroad such as Singapore. The total of contested Betta fish are 468 of them.
Betta fish contest consists of 48 categories with 7 classes: Serit, Halfmoon, Plaques, Giant (Super Junior, Junior, Senior), baby Plaque, baby Halfmoon, and baby Serit. This contest winner won a Rector Universitas Padjadjaran throphy and sum of money. The prize was awarded to winner of first, second and third place for each category; the champion in each class (grand champion), and the overall winner in all categories.
Edi Sudarjat, one of the contest judges, explained that in order to win the contest of betta fish, the color of the fish which included the contest must have the best according to its category, with ideal body shape and proportion, not disabled, and neat both physically and from the displayed style of Betta fish.
Edi also hoped that Betta fish contest could be held annually because it could spur people to love Betta fish even more. The contest could also re-introducing Betta fish is not just a fish that is known to public, but also as one fish that has a high value as an exotic ornamental fish nationally or internationally, increasing Indonesia Betta fish popularity around the world.
Sonny Subhan, S.Pi., M.Si, lecturer of FPIK Unpad and mentor in FPIK Trustees KKM Karamba Unpad also stated similar argument. According to him, betta fish contest could be useful for all parties and is a real form of collaboration between academics and practitioners. For students, this Betta contest could become a means of learning to understand the technical provision of the contest better, understand types and categories of fish Betta contested better, technical judging, and other learning processes.
Also, betta fish contest could become a means of providing public information about ornamental fishes that have important economic, in order to attract more people to have interest in them. With Betta fish contest held in Bandung, it would also attract tourists to visit Bandung.
“Hopefully Bandung also could be the center of ornamental fish in Indonesia, and in extension supporting the city of Bandung as a creative city,” he hoped. *
Released by Andri Saputra (mahasiswa FPIK Unpad) / art
