Indonesia is looking to boost the sustainable development of its shrimp aquaculture sector, with a goal of increasing its export value by 250 percent in 2024, Antara News reported last week, citing an official from Indonesia’s Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry.
A roadmap for encouraging sustainable practices in the industry has already been prepared by the ministry and other relevant institutions.
To start, the ministry has planned to pick Sukabumi District in West Java and other potential areas as places to develop a model for sustainable shrimp farming in the country, Ministry Director General of Aquaculture Slamet Soebijakto said.
"The target of the project is to increase production while remain environmentally friendly. The prospective location of the project would be in Tegal Beuleut Subdistrict," he said.
If the project pilot is successful, the government will seek to replicate it across the country, Soebijakto said. The pilot will also be used to attract private investment, he added, with private investors having already signaled their interest in making shrimp-related investments in West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, and Gorontalo, Soebijakto said.
Shrimp was the second-largest contributor in terms of value to Indonesia’s fisheries exports, after tuna, accounting for 39 percent of the total export value last year.
Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo also said in a statement on 10 June that a growth in shrimp farming will benefit Indonesian people, both in income and employment.
“Now, imagine if we were to conduct intensification of the shrimp business, with high stock density of 200 shrimps per square meter, then the income would reach up to IDR 500 million [USD 35,470, EUR 31,200] per year," the minister said, adding that many jobs in the industry will be created along with the farming expansion.
Prabowo said in February an increase by 250 percent in 2024’s export value means the country’s shrimp production will reach at least 578,000 metric tons (MT), according to NusaDaily.
Photo courtesy of kataleewan intarachote/Shutterstock
