Donggala, 19 February 2025 - As one of the world's largest shrimp producers, Indonesia plays a vital role in fulfilling the global demand for high-quality seafood. In 2024, Indonesia exported 202,464 tons of shrimp, valued at $1.6 billion USD. However, the industry faces various challenges, especially environmental concerns.
Conventional shrimp farming practices impose significant environmental risks, such as mangrove losses. The carbon footprint from intensive farms threatens the resilience of coastal ecosystems and surrounding communities. With its abundant natural resources and favorable geographical location, it's about time for Indonesia to take a step for sustainable shrimp farming.
A Sustainable Chapter of Shrimp Farming
JALA, a leading company providing innovative, sustainable, and trusted shrimp industry supply chain solutions, in collaboration with Konservasi Indonesia, a national organization that focuses on sustainable development, has launched the Climate Smart Shrimp Farming (CSSF) initiative. As the first in Asia, this program integrates shrimp farming with mangrove restoration to enhance productivity while mitigating climate change impacts. Through CSSF, JALA is committed to ensuring long-term environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
The CSSF launch took place in Lalombi Village in Donggala Regency on February 19, 2025. This event, attended by M. Rifani Pakamundi, Regent of Donggala, Bau Toknok, Lead Consultant of the Mangrove Restoration Project, local government representatives, and nearby shrimp farmers, also includes a mangrove planting activity.
Setting a New Benchmark for Responsible Cultivation
Located on a 10-hectare site in Donggala, Central Sulawesi, the initiative dedicates 3.5 ha of the land to mangrove restoration and 4.8 ha for wastewater treatment. The remaining area consists of 12 shrimp ponds with 200 shrimp/m² stocking density, aiming to produce 40 tons of shrimp per hectare per cycle. The total CO₂ estimated to be absorbed is 504 tons, equivalent to 137,33 tons of carbon.
"Within aquaculture areas, mangroves can absorb and treat wastewater that is actually still rich in nutrients. P and N also serve as excellent fertilizers for plants," explained Aryo Wiryawan, Chairman of JALA. "We believe that with this system, we are not only increasing productivity but also reducing the environmental impact from shrimp farming activities."
"CSSF integrates pond management with mangroves as an inseparable system which maintains shrimp production sustainably," said Budiati Prasetiamartati, Ocean Program Director at Konservasi Indonesia.
The harvested shrimp is aimed to have added value, particularly in terms of sustainability and high competitiveness, as they are cultivated using the Climate-Smart Shrimp (CSS) concept and are traceable through JALA's technology applied for farm management. This can boost their selling price, especially in the global market.
Unlocking the Potential of Indonesia
The CSSF initiative is also aimed to be a catalyst for economic growth in Central Sulawesi and Indonesia. The program will create employment opportunities, empowering local communities.
CSSF represents a scalable solution for responsible shrimp cultivation in Indonesia and worldwide. With an innovative and strategic approach, JALA and Konservasi Indonesia are committed to ensuring a more productive and sustainable future for the shrimp industry.
