Strengthening Ponds, Restoring Mangroves, and Growing Hope

In Pegat Batumbuk Village, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, change does not come in giant leaps. It grows gradually, starting with pond improvements, shifts in perspective, and the building of farmers' courage to try new approaches. This is part of the efforts of PT Penjaminan Infrastruktur Indonesia (Persero), or PT PII, together with the Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) in the Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) program for Community-Based Mangrove Forest Management through Sustainable Shrimp Farming. The initiative promotes a pond model that no longer separates production and conservation. The program has been running from December 2021 to September 2024.

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Pegat Batumbuk is known as one of the largest pond centers in Berau Regency, with about 7,000 hectares of active ponds. For years, shrimp farming has been the main source of livelihood. However, pressure on mangroves and heavy reliance on chemical inputs pose ecological and economic risks. The Shrimp Carbon Aquaculture (SECURE) program addresses both needs: protecting mangrove functions while ensuring shrimp farming remains productive.

The program's success did not come without challenges. During the first shrimp farming cycle in the model pond, an outbreak of white spot disease caused mass mortality. For farmers, this was more than just a financial loss; it was a test of the new approach. A total harvest had to be carried out, even though the results were suboptimal.

Interestingly, the turning point came after this phase. Evaluations based on water quality data—including temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen—served as the foundation for better pond management. In the second cycle, with probiotic application, stricter water management, and adjusted farming techniques, partial harvesting produced 21.5 kg of black tiger shrimp and 11 kg of speckled shrimp, with an economic value of IDR 3,440,000 (Three Million Four Hundred Forty Thousand Rupiah). Quantitatively, this may not yet be impressive for the total pond area, but qualitatively, it marked the restoration of farmers’ confidence in the program.

Another success lies in changes to production inputs. Through the Farmer Field School, which involved 25 participants, farmers practiced making compost and Local Microorganisms (MoL) from surrounding organic materials. This approach reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers while improving pond soil structure. In some cases, farmers reported more stable water quality and better-controlled operational costs.

Mangrove restoration is also being integrated into pond design. Using the Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Rehabilitation (CBEMR) approach, restoration plots are no longer seen as “unproductive” areas. Instead, they actively buffer the ecosystem, sustaining water circulation, maintaining environmental quality, and strengthening the ponds’ resilience against extreme changes. Facilitators, pond owners, and village stakeholders discussed technical matters and designed solutions that better suited local biophysical conditions.

The program is not without its ongoing challenges. In addition to disease threats, technical issues such as suboptimal water gate locations, high soil iron content, and varying practices among farmers require continuous support. Behavioral changes also take time, as some farmers still compare the new methods to the old practices they have relied on for years.

The program’s success indicators are not measured solely by harvest yields. Changes in farming practices are key achievements. Farmers now routinely measure water quality and discuss the results together. The Farmer Field School has become a collective learning space, free of stigma, fostering knowledge sharing and skill development.

For PT PII, supporting this program demonstrates that community-based interventions can generate tangible benefits: stronger local economies, empowered communities, healthier mangrove ecosystems, and contributions to national carbon emission reduction goals. For YKAN, Pegat Batumbuk shows that the “one island, one demonstration pond” model has replication potential, provided local adaptation remains the guiding principle.

The story of Pegat Batumbuk proves that sustainability is not a frictionless narrative. It is built through processes, improvements, and shared commitments. From white spot outbreaks to better partial harvests, from chemical fertilizers to compost, and from conventional ponds to ecological designs, progress unfolds step by step, but with clear direction.

On the Berau coast, the program’s success is evident in both production figures and a paradigm shift. Mangroves and ponds can coexist. With the community taking the lead and learning becoming the cornerstone of their efforts, they can coexist harmoniously within the same landscape.