Indonesia–Australia Research Collaboration Produces Policy Brief on Sustainable Aquaculture Framework to Support Blue Economy Implementation in Indonesia

The RIIM-KONEKSI Consortium officially handed over and presented a policy brief titled Mainstreaming the Sustainable Aquaculture Framework (SAF) to Support the Implementation of Indonesia’s Blue Economy to the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, in Jakarta on 28 July 2026.

The policy brief was prepared by the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Monash University, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) under the RIIM-KONEKSI partnership, a collaboration program between the Indonesian and Australian governments. The document serves as input to MMAF to strengthen aquaculture policies that are both productive and sustainable.

This policy brief was developed in response to the need to balance increasing national shrimp production with mangrove conservation efforts, particularly in extensive brackish water pond areas where productivity has been declining and pressure on coastal ecosystems has been mounting for a long time.

Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono emphasized that efforts to protect mangrove ecosystems must go hand in hand with the growth of the shrimp industry to ensure coastal sustainability.

“The demands of the shrimp industry must run parallel with mangrove conservation. Production and environmental protection are not opposing goals. With the right approach, both can progress together to support the welfare of coastal communities while strengthening the implementation of Indonesia’s Blue Economy,” he stated.

Brackish water pond productivity in Indonesia continues to decline due to various technical and environmental management challenges. These issues arise from suboptimal pond design, ineffective water management, inappropriate use of inputs like fertilizers, lime, and pesticides, and mangrove degradation, which heightens coastal vulnerability. This situation indicates the urgent need for new approaches in pond management to restore productivity without compromising environmental sustainability.

To address these challenges, the RIIM-KONEKSI Consortium developed the Sustainable Aquaculture Framework (SAF), involving researchers from ITB, Monash University, BRIN, and YKAN, with support from the Indonesian and Australian governments. This framework is being implemented through the Integrated Sustainable Mangrove-Carbon Aquaculture (SMACA) program in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, from 2025 to 2027, as an extension of the Shrimp Carbon Aquaculture (SECURE) program initiated by YKAN in 2022.

SAF integrates four dimensions of sustainability: biophysical and climate, biodiversity, socio-economic, and governance. This approach designs shrimp farming areas and mangrove restoration zones within a unified pond landscape that supports both. This model is expected to increase pond productivity, improve the environment, and preserve the functions of mangroves as coastal habitats, shorelines, and blue carbon sinks.

Team Leader Prof. Djoko Santoso Abi Suroso from ITB stated that initial implementation shows SAF has significant potential for wider application.

“Programs like SMACA and SECURE demonstrate that increasing pond productivity can go hand in hand with mangrove restoration. This model can serve as a prototype for sustainable aquaculture development across various regions in Indonesia,” he said.

To date, the SECURE program in Berau has involved 22 farmers managing about 240 hectares of ponds integrated with 87 hectares of mangrove restoration. With RIIM-KONEKSI’s research support, the SMACA program continues to refine pond design, hydrological management, ecosystem restoration, and collaborative governance to increase productivity while maintaining environmental functions.

YKAN’s Ocean Program Director, Muhammad Ilman, emphasized that the Berau experience demonstrates that increasing shrimp production can coexist with the preservation of mangrove ecosystems.

“The Berau experience shows that pond productivity can improve through better pond design, hydrological management, and integrated mangrove restoration. The SAF approach provides evidence that production enhancement and ecosystem protection can go hand in hand. We hope this framework can serve as a reference for developing sustainable aquaculture policies in Indonesia,” he said.

The policy brief recommends that the government prioritize revitalizing operational ponds rather than opening new ones by converting mangroves. It also calls for strengthening ecosystem service-based financing schemes, integrating mangrove buffer zones into pond designs, enhancing farmers’ capacity, and mainstreaming sustainable aquaculture in the implementation of the national Blue Economy policy.

Through this policy brief, the RIIM-KONEKSI Consortium hopes that SAF will serve as a key reference for formulating national policies to boost sustainable aquaculture production, strengthen food security, and preserve Indonesia’s coastal ecosystems.