Performance of Integrated Mangrove-Aquaculture (IMA) in District of Sidoarjo, East Java Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia holds 23% of the world’s mangroves but has witnessed significant declines, especially on Java Island, in the past 30 years. Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MOEF) data from 2021 reports 3.36 million hectares of mangroves, down by about 1 million hectares. The main reason is conversion to shrimp ponds, totaling around 322,000 hectares according to the Indonesian Shrimp Forum (FUI, 2021). Despite covering 93%, traditional ponds contribute only 29% to national shrimp production, a key export accounting for 40% of fisheries revenue.To mitigate further mangrove loss, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MAF) targets an annual shrimp production of 2 million tons by 2024 through Integrated Mangrove-Aquaculture (IMA). Introduced in 1978, IMA’s productivity remains limited despite evaluations in Sidoarjo District, East Java. Polyculture ponds cultivate shrimp (tiger and vannamei), milkfish, and seaweed, with productivity ranging from 17.9 to 363.8 kg/ha/year for shrimp and additional 1,920 to 14,120 kg/ha/year for seaweed. Mangrove integration primarily occurs on embankments (>95%), covering 5% of the pond area, with few (<5%) on the platform (8%-10% coverage), affecting productivity inversely with farm size due to limited farmer management capability. This article explores IMA implementation in Sidoarjo District and suggests improvements for enhanced production.