Fisheries in Indonesia play a significant role in the global food security. Its waters are home to more than 3,000 species of bony fishes, 850 sharks, rays, and chimaeras. 

For millions of Indonesians, fishing is a source of food and a way of life, since nearly 40 percent live below the poverty line. Approximately 12 million Indonesians work in the fisheries industry.

According to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, exports of fishery products will reach US$7.2 billion by the end of 2024. Compared to 2020, when the Covid-19 outbreak severely damaged the sector, this represents a four-fold rise.

The government also intends to revitalize more than 300,000 hectares of abandoned shrimp farms.

Sadly, most of Indonesia’s fisheries are overexploited or fully exploited, and illegal fishing practices are widespread. Additionally, there are issues associated with food safety and quality control, limited infrastructure, and lack of access to financing.

More than 90% of its fish stocks are estimated to be overexploited or fully exploited in Indonesia. An estimated 15–30% of the entire catch is thought to be the result of rampant Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which severely impacts Indonesia’s fisheries sector. In Indonesia, fishing laws are frequently not enforced, which eases the continuation of illicit and unsustainable fishing methods. 

Destructive fishing techniques like dynamite and trawling are widely used by Indonesian fishermen, which also harm marine ecosystems and coral reefs while also killing non-target species and producing unanticipated capture rates.

Although up to 50% of the fishery sector’s production is thought to have been lost due to overfishing, the Indonesian authority is hardly taking any measures against it. Because data scarcity is a major obstacle to combating overfishing. It is more difficult for the government to enforce the laws if they don’t know which species are overfished, where, and in what amounts. 

In complicated multi-species fisheries, such as those in Indonesia and many other tropical developing nations, meaningful fish data simply does not exist, making sustainable management nearly difficult.

However, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to digitally change Indonesia’s fishing industry and combat these challenges. AI technologies may also help Indonesian fisheries increase accountability and traceability in their supply chains, which is critical for satisfying the needs of more conscientious customers.

The Government’s push to digitize the Indonesian fishing industry has already focused attention on aquaculture firms, many of whom are leveraging AI to meet demand.

For example, Temasek-backed eFishery, established in 2013, employs automated feeding gear, but many indigenous farmers traditionally feed the fish by hand.

These feeders monitor the hunger levels of fish and shrimp based on their motions, avoiding the issue of over- or under-feeding when done conventionally.

Jala, a digital solution specialist for the shrimp farming company, employs technology to keep track of environmental parameters and feeding data, which farmers can then utilize to optimize productivity.

Its smartphone app presently has over 20,000 users and monitors shrimp in more than 35,000 ponds.

“By creating an equitable digital economy, the use of AI and other modern technologies might lessen social and economic inequality in a field based on traditional farmers and poor yields,” said Liris Maduningtyas, the chief executive of aquaculture startup Jala.

Aruna, an Indonesian company that aggregates supply chains for the marine and fisheries sectors, has developed a platform that provides fishermen with more direct and extensive access to clients worldwide.

Additionally, Aruna regularly collaborates with regional grocery e-commerce sites like Shopee, Bukalapak, and Tokopedia to offer fish goods to their product listings.

Since 2019, increasing the productivity of its aquaculture has been Indonesia’s top development goal. Reaching its desired objective is still feasible, though, with the right use of AI.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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Indonesian shrimp farmers are experiencing the impacts of these difficulties in Purworejo, Central Java. The farmers are navigating numerous disease outbreaks, a changing environment, and declining prices in addition to increasing feed costs.

Eko Winasis is a local farmer in that area and too familiar with the difficulties. He has been running a shrimp fishery in Purworejo for the past seven years.

Eko claims that the major problems right now are bacterial diseases like early mortality syndrome (EMS) and white feces syndrome (WFS).

‘Since diseases are constantly changing, we can only do our best to avoid them. But outbreaks can still occur despite the best preventative steps being in place.’ said Eko.

Budi Harsoyo, another local farmer is also up against a comparable challenge. The former horticulturist began shrimp farming in December 2014, with only three ponds. He now owns 19 ponds and runs six more in a joint venture with other parties. His farm is 2.5 hectares in size, with ponds varying in size from 900 to 1,200 square meters.

Budi claims that shrimp aquaculture is very different today than it was seven years ago. Budi had never experienced any production losses prior to EMS, but since the disease’s emergence, he has seen them become more common. ” Farming is not as simple as it once was,” he says.

The operations of both farmers have started to be impacted in recent years by the effects of climate change. Seasons are becoming more unpredictable, and extreme weather events have become more common. The rising expense of feed is one of the biggest issues shrimp farmers are confronting. The increased costs are brought on by the increasing cost of fuel and raw materials. The producers use a feed brand that is imported from Vietnam, which raises the price even further. Farmers have reported a recent rise in shrimp post-larvae prices as well.

The Indonesian shrimp farmers have put strategies to cut production costs into place to deal with the declining prices and increasing costs, such as minimizing the use of probiotics and recycling their own minerals. They are constantly searching for innovative approaches to boost output and stop the disease.

As the cost of larger shrimp has decreased, smaller sizes are more appealing to many producers. Hence, to make up for possible disease-related losses, farmers are concentrating on producing 40-count (40 shrimp per kg; average size: 25 g) shrimp at a greater density.

They also keep fewer shrimp in stock to reduce disease-related deaths. The locals have found success with this method, which can result in more consistent output and less feed being wasted on shrimp that later die.

Despite the difficulties they encounter, the farmers are committed to their job and willing to use new technology to enhance their operations.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, recently launched the Quarantine Quality Month and highlighted the importance of tilapia as a crucial source of protein for millions of people worldwide. The global demand for protein from fish continues to increase, making it a vital commodity for the world’s growing population.

Despite the global recession, Indonesia’s fish export market maintaining it at stable level, and the country is keen to grab more share in the global market for the five main fishery commodities, which include shrimp, lobster, crab, tilapia and seaweeds. Indonesia’s main aquatic export commodities include shrimp, tuna, skipjack, cuttlefish, octopus, and crabs.

The Indonesian government is implementing several initiatives to promote sustainable aquaculture practices and increase production in the sector. The government’s efforts are aimed at modernizing the fisheries sector and creating employment opportunities while ensuring food security for the population.

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This time, however, the government is very optimistic about meeting the goals. Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia, assured local legislators in December 2022 that he is optimistic Indonesia will meet its 2024 shrimp output target.

Indonesia was the world’s third-largest aquaculture producer by volume in 2020, following China and India, with shrimp accounting for the majority of production. Indonesia possesses numerous advantages over its competitors. The Indonesian archipelago consists of 18,000 islands and islets and has the third-most coastlines of any country. The vast coastline provides extra benefits for the farmers.

Indonesia’s fishery and marine goods exports generated roughly USD 6.2 billion (EUR 5.8 billion) in 2022, and it aims to reach USD 7.6 billion (EUR 7.1 billion) in 2023.
In 2021, shrimp accounted for USD 2.2 billion (EUR 2 billion), making it Indonesia’s most valuable seafood export.

Indonesia has 247,000 hectares devoted to shrimp ponds, and the average annual yield per hectare is presently 0.6 metric tons. According to Antara News, the Indonesian government wants to create 1,000 new hectares of modernized shrimp-farming ponds and enhance production by turning old ponds into semi-intensive or intensive ponds. This initiative will raise the output by 15 to 20 MT per hectare.

“Indonesia seems to have the necessary components to become the global leader in aquaculture and seafood production,” according to Guntur Mallarangeng, co-founder and chief executive officer of shrimp farm management firm Delos. “Whenever we figure out how to integrate them, we should be able to dominate the global shrimp industry,” he added.
Despite tremendous momentum, producing 2 million metric tons (MT) of shrimp by 2024 seems ambitious. And there are a few factors that should be taken into consideration.
The officials who announced the government’s ambitions also anticipated that the increase of intensive shrimp farming would be the primary driver of economic expansion. And the farmers stock more than 200 PL/m2 in ponds.
However, high stocking density inhibits shrimp growth, which results in shrimp below marketable size. Moreover, the shrimp industry in Indonesia is currently facing significant both domestic and global challenges.

Internally, the shrimp industry has numerous challenges, particularly in the production (farming) phase. These include disease infestation, lack of shrimp fry, shrimp feed and medicine, regional planning and infrastructure, and farmer empowerment. Externally, the present influx of comparatively ‘cheap’ imported shrimp into Indonesia has negatively impacted business profitability. These cheap imported shrimps have a high mortality rate and a low growth rate.

Moreover, Importers from Developed states apply stringent quality standards, which Indonesian shrimp farmers cannot meet. The primary demand from the importers includes the absence of antibiotic contamination in the shrimp. Yet, shrimp farmers utilize a substantial amount of antibiotics to counteract the effect of poor shrimp fry.
Additional issues include the low productivity and high production costs of domestic shrimp. This last issue complicates the management of trade policy.

If the production remains persistent with the rise of super-intensive shrimp farming, Indonesia could wind up dramatically expanding its output over the following couple of years. And it could be a more formidable competitor to other shrimp producers in the region.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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The value of all exported seafood was 5.71 billion USD from January to November 2022, according to the Fisheries Ministry. By the end of the year, the ministry anticipates that figure to be $6.2 billion.

The United States is the top importer, who spent 2.15 billion USD on aquatic products from Indonesia between January and November, according to the Ministry. Followed by China at 1.02 billion USD, Japan at 678 million USD, ASEAN at 651 million USD, and the EU at 357.12 million USD.

The value of Indonesia’s shrimp exports to the US in 2022 reached a record-high $1.33 billion. This is a sign that Indonesia’s shrimp industry is getting bigger and being able to meet global demand.

Indonesia’s fisheries produced 18.45 million tons by the third quarter of 2022. Wild fish and aquaculture together make up 11.54 million tons or 14% more than last year.

Shrimp are a high-demand food worldwide, with a $30 billion market, says Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono. In order to satisfy demand, Indonesia intends to reach 2 million tons of shrimp production by 2024. The nation plans to build 1,000 hectares of shrimp-farming ponds to achieve it. This represents a significant growth from the existing 200 hectares.

Through careful preparation of the land and acquisition of all required tools, we are making every effort to make that a reality. By 2024, I hope we’ll have finished building this 1000 hectare shrimp farm. Trenggono said the farm would be a huge economic boon for the region. Hundreds of employments will be created and disadvantaged towns will receive much-needed funding.

Tunas, cuttlefish, blue swimmer crabs, and octopuses are some of Indonesia’s most popular wild-caught fish, according to Trenggono. The government is working on creating villages for aquaculture, he said. These are places where people can learn and do aquaculture.

“We have aquaculture villages for sharks, catfish, and seaweed, so we don’t need to build new ones. Now that we know how to make shrimp, our goal is to build a new aquaculture facility.” Trenggono said, “We are excited to finish this project and open new opportunities for our local economy.”

The Fisheries Ministry announced today that they had posted an impressive Rp 1.79 trillion in non-tax revenue this year, the highest amount since its founding in 1999. The biggest sources of revenue are natural resources and capture fisheries. They bring in Rp 1.1 trillion from non-tax sources. The collected non-tax revenue was made up of non-natural resources, which made up Rp 611.8 billion, and public service organizations, which made up the remaining Rp 44.3 billion.

Tariq Iqbal
Khulna, Bangladesh

The post Indonesia has set a $7.6 billion fisheries export target for 2023 appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

The ponds, which are scheduled to open in February, have an annual production capacity of 40 metric tons of shrimp per hectare.

By 2024, 2 million tons of shrimp will be produced at the ponds, according to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono.

This is an example of a unique modern-age shrimp pond. We’re building it to be sustainable, with a responsible environment, and uses area-based aquaculture ponds in Kebumen, Central Java, said Trenggono.

During his visit, Regent Arif Sugiyanto and DPR Member Darori Wonodipuro went with Minister Trenggono.

Trenggono said that Kebumen’s area-based shrimp ponds have the largest area, currently at 60 hectares, with 149 pond plots.

About 40 tons per hectare per year are produced at the beginning, with the best method being contemporary green shrimp ponds.

Since we have 100 hectares of land potential, we’ll keep adding more ponds.

He claimed this is the first structure to be built with a high-quality water source. Before being disposed into the ocean, the pond wastewater passed via the cluster WWTP and main WWTP.

He believes that the area-based shrimp pond concept in Kebumen will assist other areas in creating modernized shrimp ponds. If this happens, Indonesia will be the world’s biggest shrimp producer, beating China, Vietnam, Ecuador, and even India.

KKP’s minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said, “If these 100 hectares are operational, there will be an annual turnover of IDR 400 billion. The directly absorbed workforce is more than 300 people, not to mention the number of indirect jobs it will also create.”

The national shrimp production target of 2 million tons in 2024 is part of developing area-based shrimp aquaculture ponds in Kebumen. This will help Indonesia contribute more to the world’s shrimp market.

According to Trenggono, local workers must be given priority in the creation of a shrimp pond model based on the local area in Kebumen.

KKP’s minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono thinks this will be a modern shrimp farming model for the country. He believes that Indonesia will become one of the world’s major producers of shrimp as a result.

Tariq Iqbal
Khulna, Bangladesh

The post Indonesia builds the largest modern eco-friendly shrimp pond appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

About 1.32 million ha are used for aquaculture in Indonesia. Of this area, 54.15% is made up of brackish water ponds that are managed by 857,151 farmers. Only 24.25% and 21.62% are used for freshwater and marine culture, respectively. Even though there were some changes, shrimp production went up between 2008 and 2019.

In 2008, a total of 409,590 tons of shrimp were produced. In 2009, that number went down to 338,060 tons, but it slowly went back to 932,698 tons in 2018.

Even though there is much space for shrimp farming, this growth has been slower than expected. In 2018, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries expected to harvest a total of 1,134,700 tons of shrimp. However, only 82.2% of that goal was met, primarily because shrimp farms kept failing. Experts indicate that diseases were the main reason why shrimp production dropped.

Early on, white leg shrimp had an abdominal segment deformity disease (ASDD), which can lead to high mortality. Also, viral diseases like monodon-type baculovirus (Penaeus monodon or MBV) and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) are very dangerous for production too. Some reports claim that disease outbreaks also cause financial problems for Indonesian shrimp farmers.

The Indonesian shrimp industry is hampered by low productivity and quality. Other problems for Indonesia in the global shrimp market are low marketing efficiency, a limited port for shipping, and a lack of optimal government policies to improve productivity and quality. Currently, shrimp farming is seen as a high-risk business because shrimp prices are unstable and diseases cause a large number of shrimp mortality in Indonesia.

Therefore, it is expected that the project will increase access to quality inputs, productivity, post-harvest practices and accountability for smallholder farmers through investments in climate-adaptive infrastructure, capacity building, and supply chain strengthening. The initiative will also assist in the transmission of expertise to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries about the production of high-quality genetic shrimp fry in an effort to lessen dependency on imported brood stock.

According to Eric Quincieu, who is ADB’s chief water-resources specialist for South-East Asia, noted that Indonesia is one of the major exporter in the worldwide shrimp industry with an 8.7% market share, making it  among top 5 shrimp exporter to the European Union, Japan, and the United States.

“Through ADB’s support, we anticipate that sustainable aquaculture techniques would help minimise pressure on ecosystems while enhancing output,” said Eric Quincieu in a Thursday ADB statement (Dec 15).

The enhanced infrastructure and capabilities will assist around 5,200 smallholder farmers, including over a thousand women farmers. Improved access to quality inputs and skill-building programs on sustainable and climate-adaptive aquaculture would help around 35,000 smallholder farmers, including roughly 7,000 women. Additionally, the initiative will support the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by creating job possibilities and fostering rural entrepreneurship.

The project is in line with the government’s National Medium-Term Development Plan, 2020­–2024 and ADB’s country partnership strategy for Indonesia, 2020­–2024, and its Action Plan for Healthy Oceans and Sustainable Blue Economies.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Dept. of Fisheries and Marine Science, NSTU

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