The right way to harvest carp so that quality is maintained

Harvesting carp does look easy. However, this cannot be done carelessly, sir/madam. This is because carp that is harvested haphazardly will be damaged when it reaches the consumer's hands.

Moreover, if the fish are not handled properly in the post-harvest process. So, how to harvest and handle post-harvest carp right? Come on, find out more in this article!

Gurame Fish Harvest Period

Cultivating carp does require extra patience. This is because carp is a fish that grows slower than other freshwater fish. To reach the ready-to-harvest weight of 500-1,000 grams per head, the average carp takes 0.5-1 year.

When compared with other fresh water fish, carp is less fast. However, you don't need to worry because the long wait to harvest the carp will pay off when the carp can be sold at a high price. 

No need to wait until the fish are very big, carp harvesting can be adjusted according to market or consumer needs. In each region, consumers usually want a different size of carp.

For example, in West Sumatra, most consumers there tend to prefer carp that weighs only 300-400 grams. In contrast to consumers in several cities in West Java such as Ciamis and Tasikmalaya. Most consumers there tend to prefer large carp weighing 500-700 grams.

The Right Way to Harvest Gurame Fish

It cannot be done haphazardly, carp harvesting must be done in the right way so as not to stress the fish and damage its quality when it reaches consumers. Come on, see the steps and steps for harvesting the right carp below!

1. Fast the fish for 1-2 days before harvesting.
2. Harvest fish in the morning when the air temperature is not too hot.
3. Leave the pool water until it reaches a depth of 30 cm.
4. Use fine nets or wares to narrow the catchment area to a radius of 3 m. Then, gradually narrow it down until the fish are gathered in the net area.
5. Catch the carp little by little with a fine net carefully to avoid a lot of loose scales.
6. In the holding tank, use the same water as in the rearing pond so the temperature doesn't vary too much.
7. Provide other containers, such as large drums, as temporary fish storage. The amount of fish in the holding container is kept not too dense and adjusted to the size of the carp, which is around 30-40 kg/drum.
8. Carry out the weighing process using a small drum.

Ways of Handling Post-Harvest Gurame Fish

After the carp has been harvested, it's time for the fish to enter post-harvest handling. The first step in this process is to separate the live carp from the dead carp. This is done because the handling it needs to reach consumers in a fresh state is very different.

Come on, find out together how to handle live and dead carp after the harvest process!

1. Handling of Live Gurame Fish

Gurame fish are usually more expensive when sold alive. Things that need to be done so that the fish reaches consumers alive, fresh and healthy include:

• Use water with a temperature of around 20°C during the transport process.
• Carry out the transport in the morning or evening.
• Adjust the amount of density of fish in the transportation tool so that it is not too dense.

2. Handling Dead Gurame Fish

Dead carp will quickly lose quality. Things that need to be done to keep carp fresh and not rotten are as follows:

• Catch the fish carefully so that there are no wounds on the fish's body.
• Wash and clean the fish from mucus until clean before packing.
• Use clean, closed containers for transporting fish. For short distance transportation (max. 2 hours journey), use a basket covered with banana leaves or plastic. As for long-distance transportation, use boxes and zinc or fiberglass. The maximum capacity of each box with a height of 50 cm is 50 kg.
• To cool the temperature in the storage container, use pieces of ice cubes.
• Cover the bottom of the storage container with 4-5 cm of ice.
• Arrange the fish on a layer of ice 5-10 cm thick, then another layer of ice and so on. Also, coat the walls and lid of the storage container with ice until each fish body is covered with ice.