The AIP Seminar Series is a series of activities carried out by YSAI (Yayasan Sustainaqua Indonesia) and the Bumi Badak Bestari Community in the Aquaculture Improver Program Activities. In this seminar session, the theme that was carried out was How to shrimp aquaculture process with the Silvofishery system successfully. The theme was chosen because it is of the condition of the ponds in Muara Badak, which are dominated by mangroves. This seminar was held on June 5, 2022, at the Earth Badak Bestari Community Base camp in Muara Badak Ulu Village, Kec. Muara Badak, Kab. Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan Province. This activity was attended by around 50 stakeholders consisting of pond owners, pond technicians, the government, and the private sector. The resource persons presented at this activity were Ir Jaja M.Sc YSAI Trainer and Hari Yuli Susanto, Director of PT. ATINA Sidoarjo.
After being opened by local government officials from the Muara Badak sub-district, the first presentation was delivered by Mr. Hari Yuli Susanto as Director of PT. ATINA Sidoarjo. In his presentation, he explained the profile of PT. ATINA is a leading tiger shrimp exporter in Indonesia. The ECOShrimp label is very attached to the products produced by PT ATINA because the cultured shrimp produced by the farmers are free from the use of chemicals and make natural feed as the primary intake of the cultured shrimp. The market share of PT. ATINA is Japan, Europe, and the United States. The market demand for tiger prawns is still huge. PT ATINA itself admits that it cannot meet the demands of many buyers to supply tiger prawns due to the lack of domestic supply. Therefore, there is an opportunity for farmers in Muara Badak to sell shrimp to PT ATINA with a note that it must comply with the standards set by the company.
The second presentation was presented by Ir. Jaja M.Sc with the theme How to Succeed in Shrimp Cultivation with the Silvofishery System. the topic has deliberately presented this theme because mangrove forests dominate the conditions in Muara Badak. According to him, mangroves function as a barrier to abrasion, purify water, start the food chain, protect and provide nutrition, and are rich in natural antibiotics that can increase shrimp immunity. That is why shrimp farming in mangrove areas that are still maintained has a higher success rate. He suggested planting mangroves on dams and river barriers for sustainable shrimp farming. In addition to reminding farmers to take care of mangroves, he provides other information to be successful in shrimp farming, such as drying correctly, how to choose quality fry, growing natural feed with ingredients available in the pond environment, increasing shrimp immunity with plants in the pond, and no less important is to maintain good relations with workers when workers.
Participants were very enthusiastic about this activity, as evidenced by the many questions and responses to the presentations given by the speakers. One of the participants questioned the effectiveness of mangroves in ponds because, based on their experience, the presence of massive mangroves in ponds causes the color of the water to turn black. They also questioned whether there was a price compensation if planting mangroves in ponds because they believed the production area would be reduced. There are also cases where they cut down mangroves planted in ponds because they are habitats for shrimp predators. Participants also took advantage of the presence of government officials in this activity by questioning the local government’s commitment to supporting shrimp farming in Muara Badak. Farmers hope the local government can provide farmers with PL (Post Larvae) and other supporting materials. Towards closing, the moderator reminded the farmers that their job was to produce shrimp. Therefore, focus on the task by practicing what the speaker has presented. The price will be directly proportional to the quality of the product produced.
The activity continued the next day with a visit to the pond and discussions with shrimp suppliers. PT ATINA agreed to allow farmers to sell their shrimp to PT ATINA on a trial scale with the standards set by the company. It is not impossible if the standards are set and implemented by farmers in the future. PT ATINA will open a branch in Muara Badak, considering the tremendous potential for shrimp production.