Environmental parameters and razor clam fisheries in Buntal, Kuching, Sarawak

A study on water quality and razor clam (Solen spp.) fisheries was carried out at Buntal, Sarawak. The objectives of this study were to collect the physico-chemical parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, water transparency and turbidity, total suspended solid, biological oxygen demand and chlorophyll a), nutrients (orthophosphate, nitrite, nitrate, and silicate) and razor clam fisheries survey. Collection of the data has been carried out in September and December, 2006 and in February and March, 2007. The range of physico-chemical parameters are: temperature (27 .14 to 31.00 0c), salinity (20 to 28 PSU), dissolved oxygen (6.11 to 12.22 mg/L), pH (7.61 to 7.97), water transparency (5 .63 to 51.00 cm), turbidity (43 .04 to 798.00 FTU), total suspended solid (0.07 to 0.62 mglL), biological oxygen demand (4.45 to 6.49 mglL), chlorophyll a (2.09 to 17.97 fJ.g/L) and nutrients such as orthophosphate (0.02 to 0.04 mglL), nitrite (0.005 to 0.008 mg/L), nitrate (0.04 to 0.22 mg/L), silicate (0.387 to 0.809 mglL) and ammonia-nitrogen (0.295 to 4.12). The market price for razor clam in Buntal is between RM 8.00 to RM 10.00 per kg. Two types of harvesting method used to harvest the razor clam, are "penguris" and "Iidi" stick method