Dalam 1 tahun ikan arwana diperdagangkan ke luar negeri rata-rata dapat mencapai 30.000 ekor untuk semua varian. Angka-angka ekspor itu cukup besar dan bertolak belakang dengan status perlindungan arwana dan statusnya dalam CITES. Idealnya, jika penangkaran arwana berhasil mengembangbiakan arwana di luar habitatnya dan adanya kewajiban restoking hasil penangkaran maka seharusnya populasi arwana di alam naik. Akan tetapi, sampai saat ini belum ada penelitian tentang hal ini. Perlu dikaji ulang status perlindungan dan CITES jenis arwana dengan cara melakukan inventarisasi populasi ikan arwana di habitatnya dan di penangkaran. Penelitian dilakukan di Danau Empangau salah satu habitat alami ikan arwana varian super red dengan ytujuan penelitian (1) Mengetahui status populasi ikan arwana varian super red di salah satu habitat alaminya (in-situ) yaitu di Danau Empangau ? Kalimantan Barat; (2) Mengetahui status populasi ikan arwana varian super red di luar habitat aslinya (ex-situ) yaitu di penangkaran arwana yang terdaftar resmi di Kementerian Kehutanan, (3) Mengetahui kontribusi keberhasilan konservasi ikan arwana secara ex-situ terhadap populasi ikan arwana in-situ. Hasil inventarisasi ikan arwana di Danau Empangau, memberikan hasil perkiraan populasi sebanyak 18 ekor pada daerah penelitian seluas 97,3 ha. Ikan arwana di Danau Empangau dikelola menggunakan hukum adat setempat agar dapat memanfaatkan ikan arwana secara lestari.

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Arowana fish traded abroad average to reach 30,000 pieces for all the variants in a year. Export figures were quite large and opposite to the status and protection status within CITES. Ideally, if successful arowana captive breeding outside their habitat and the obligations of restocking from captive breeding, then the arowana population should increase in the wild. However, until now there has been no research on this. Need to review the CITES status and protection of Arowana species by conducting an inventory of arowana populations in their habitat and in captive breeding.

Research conducted on Empangau lake, one of the natural habitat of super red arowana with the aim of the study (1) Knowing the population status of variant super red arowana in one of their natural habitat (in-situ) in Empangau lake - West Kalimantan; (2) Knowing the population status of variant super red arowana outside their natural habitat (ex-situ) in captive breeding officially registered at the Ministry of Forestry, (3) Knowing the contribution of captive breeder to arowana populations in-situ.

The result of inventory arowana in Empangau lake, gives the results of population estimates as many as 18 fishes in the study area 97.3 ha. Arowana in Empangau lake managed using the local customary law in order to take advantage of Arowana fish sustainability.