Shrimp farmers and mangroves can coexist

Indonesia turns to responsible aquaculture to restore vital ecosystems

By Pact

April 19^th, 2023

In northeast Borneo’s Berau district, a vast system of rivers converge to create some of the largest spans of mangroves in Indonesia. This unique and delicate environment is home to a wide array of wildlife. Some species, like the proboscis, or long-nosed monkey, live nowhere else in the world.

A mangrove forest in northeast Kalimantan region of Borneo Island, Indonesia.

A Rhinoceros Hornbill in a mangrove forest in northeast Kalimantan region of Borneo.

Mudskippers on a tidal flat of a mangrove forest in northeast Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Small crabs on a tidal flat of a mangrove forest in northeast Kalimantan, Indonesia.

An endangered proboscis, or long-nosed monkey, in a mangrove forest in northeast Kalimantan. (Brian J. Clark/Pact)

The villagers of Pegat Betumbuk live at the heart of the Berau mangroves, where shrimp farming forms the foundation of their economy.

Shrimp farmers and mangroves can coexist

Unfortunately, the aquaculture practice means clearing mangrove forests to serve as shrimp ponds. Clearing mangroves lowers the water quality resulting in lower shrimp yields, causing farmers to clear more land. "It is a vicious cycle," says Dr. Muhammad Ilman, Ocean Program Director with YKAN, an Indonesian conversation organization and Pact partner.

Mangroves cleared for a shrimp pond in Pegat Betumbuk, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. (Brian J. Clark/Pact)

“It is a vicious cycle.”

Pact and YKAN are working to reverse this trend, with funding from Chevron. YKAN has developed a method of sustainable shrimp farming—the SECURE model—in part by redesigning ponds into a smaller size and combining them with mangrove restoration to produce the same and sometimes larger shrimp yields for farmers.

“Basically, we all win here,” Ilman says. “Farmers use less resources but get the same result, and mangroves in the big ponds can regrow naturally.”

Pact is working with shrimp farmers to grow their business capacity, including productivity and profitability, through training, skills development and access to finance. This includes strengthening access to local and international markets for the farmers, providing better and more market-driven opportunities.

In addition to supporting more responsible shrimp farming and mangrove restoration, Pact and YKAN are working with local communities to improve their livelihoods. Together, we are identifying and building new small business opportunities, such as ecotourism.

Villagers in Betumbuk village drying shrimp.

Hartati, a villager and member of a woman’s group that sells products in Batumbuk village.

Dried shrimp products on display in in Batumbuk village.

Fishermen haul in the morning's catch in Semanting Village.

Pact is also working with the community to improve its access to renewable energy. With electricity, farmers will have the means to produce ice or refrigerate their shrimp, vastly improving their ability to get their product to market while fetching a better price.

Pact’s work to improve the livelihoods of villagers is crucial, says Ilman.

"If we just try and restore the mangrove and don’t work with the farmers, it fails. It is a much more successful result when we help them with their aquaculture, and they help us with the mangrove restoration."

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About this project: MESTI is a Chevron-funded project that supports communities in realizing the livelihoods and environmental benefits of preserving mangroves. The project is improving environmental health and the survivability of mangroves by supporting sustainable aquaculture practices, building farmers’ business capacity, promoting opportunities for renewable energy use in the shrimp value chain, enabling sustainability certifications, and opening opportunities for communities to further harness the value of mangrove preservation. The three-year project is working in partnership with the community of Pegat Betumbuk. MESTI is implemented by Pact with Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) and its Shrimp-Carbon Aquaculture (SECURE) approach for sustainable aquaculture.