Indonesian aquaculture experienced a 3.11 percent increase in extent within the first zone of 2017, to three. Ninety million heaps of fish.
There was also a 37 percent increase in farmed fish feed, which reached IDR 30.90 trillion (USD 2.31 billion), from the same zone in 2016, according to the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry’s aquaculture directorate, as preferred by Slamet Soebjakto.
In addition, the professional explained that as a part of the authorities’ plans to grow aquaculture manufacturing, the authorities intend to broaden the activity in 34 provinces this 12 months, covering 173 regencies and cities.
To this stop, the government could distribute some one hundred million young fish to farmers to revitalize 250 devices of floating nets to develop fish and distribute coverage premiums for three, especially three hundred hectares of fish farms.
In addition to that, the government will revitalize fishponds in 20 regencies/towns, develop fishponds for catfish in 60 regencies/cities, and open offshore aquaculture in Sabang, Aceh; Pangandaran, West Java, and Karimunjava, Central Java.
“Aquaculture has a strategic characteristic, economically, socially, and geopolitically, especially because it has a notable ability to enhance the welfare of humans. It is our task to make this enterprise more effective and green if you want to greatly affect the national financial system soon,” he added.
On the other hand, to further strengthen the aquaculture enterprise inside the U. S.A., particularly the location of small-scale aquaculture manufacturers of seaweed, milkfish, and shrimp in 4 regencies in South Sulawesi, a four-12 months, multi-associate project could be implemented by the International Office and the School of Fisheries at the Marine Institute in partnership with the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and nearby Indonesian companies, Kospermindo (Koperasi Serikat Pekerja Merdeka Indonesia) and LP3M (Lembaga Pengkajian Pedesaan, Pantai dan Masyarakat).
The mission — INVEST Co-op Indonesia — is designed to enhance the livelihoods of small farm manufacturers in Indonesia, Malawi, Mongolia, and Peru.
Its purpose is to grow production, productivity, and access to markets and economic services through the inclusion of the venture.
As a part of this system, aquaculture practices that are not only resilient to weather change,butr also boost production and yield may be introduced.
Support may also be furnished to farmers to improve access to economic offerings and markets through their co-operatives.
Activities will involve collaboration with governments, private organizations, business institutions, study establishments, and different stakeholders to bolster networks and create a conducive environment for co-operatives to provide better livelihoods to farmers.
Fish Farm Ponds With Aquaponics: A Sustainable Alternative to Aquaculture
Aquaculture is the breeding of marine animals in the water. It can take place in natural water bodies such as ponds, lakes, marshland, or brackish water and the ocean. It can also be conducted in man-made tanks, commonly found in fish hatcheries. Regardless of where it takes place, Aquaculture has an impact on the environment locally and globally. To become an environmentally sustainable and economically sound activity, it is necessary to implement strict regulations on the management of resources and a careful site selection. Nevertheless, there is a natural alternative: Aquaponics.
Aquaponics is the breeding of marine animals in tanks or ponds using the fish tank water to grow vegetables, fruits, or seaweed without soil. It is a balanced closed system that recreates the same process we see in a natural pond, where plants and animals thrive in perfect harmony.
Aquaculture faces some environmental challenges that Aquaponics has naturally solved. I list these challenges below:
1. Effluents and waste management.
The practice of Aquaculture necessarily includes waste management. The effluents in these farms include uneaten food, metabolic excretions, and feces. They consist of both organic solid waste and dissolved organic and inorganic nutrients, which are discharged on a daily basis into the environment. The flux of these compounds should never surpass the natural assimilation capacity of the local ecosystem because severe impacts, such as eutrophication, oxygen depletion, and alteration of local biodiversity, can occur both in the water column and in the bottom substrate. To replace the discharged water, it is imperative to refill the tank with clean water. This involves extensive use of water resources.
In Aquaponics, there is no waste. It is a closed, balanced ecosystem. What is considered waste in Aquaculture is useful input for the balance between the needs of the fish and the need for the vegetables. Bacterial colonies are responsible for the conversion of ammonia and nitrite to nitrogen readily assimilated by plants. Other potential participants are worms. They can decompose solid waste from the fish, excess roots, and other materials that plants slough off, making them bioavailable for the plants. As a result of these multiple natural filters, there is clean water in the fish tank all the time. There is no need to change or discharge the water to the natural environment. Less work for the farmer and no risk for the environment.
2. Origin and quality of food for the fish.
In Aquaculture, generally, the food for the cultivated fish comes from fish in the ocean. This contributes to the overharvest of the oceans. Another problem is that they are often pumped with hormones to promote rapid growth, and in some cases are even given chemicals to change their color, such as synthetic astaxanthin to salmon to enhance the pink.
In order to preserve the health of the system and produce organic vegetables and fish, in Aquaponics, the quality of the food is a priority. Hormones and other synthetic chemicals are not permitted in this closed system: they directly affect the metabolism of the plants. The diet of the fish can be naturally supplemented by the introduction of a worm farm, a black fly farm, or duckweed tanks to complement high-quality commercial food that often comes from vegetal protein sources (as has been proposed by the National Organic Standards Board, limiting the amount of fishmeal and fish oils in organically certified aquaculture products).
3. Veterinary medicines.
In Aquaculture, like any factory-farmed meat, the living conditions of the animals are not optimal and are often kept alive by the continuous use of antibiotics. In addition, any medical treatment given to the cultivated fish poses a risk for the natural environment if the discharged water has not gone through adequate neutralization or dilution.
Antibiotics for fish are not permitted in Aquaponics because they can also affect the bacteria needed for the balance. The high oxygen levels in Aquaponics systems and the worms’ activity help mitigate disease outbreaks in both fish and plants. In case there is a need to treat a particular disease, there is no risk of contaminating the natural environment.
