Environmental crises don\u2019t always require expensive mega-projects;\nsometimes solutions emerge from restoring lost ecological balance.<\/p>\n
Surabaya - The coastal winds of Surabaya, East Java, no longer carry\njust the salt of the sea and mud from fish ponds. In the Wonorejo to\nGunung Anyar areas, they also bring new hope for how the coastal city\ncan withstand erosion, climate crises, and shrinking habitats for fish\nfarmers.<\/p>\n
This hope springs from mangrove roots, now seen not as obstacles to\nproductivity but as part of the coastal economic system itself.<\/p>\n
Amid urban development pressures, Surabaya\u2019s coastline faces\nchallenges common to many Indonesian coastal cities: relentless erosion,\ndeteriorating water quality, rising temperatures, and a weakening\ncoastal ecosystem. Meanwhile, fish farmers must remain productive to\nsustain their livelihoods.<\/p>\n
This is where silvofishery or wanamina becomes relevant. The concept\nof combining fish farming with mangrove planting is now being seriously\ndeveloped by Surabaya City Government through the Regional Research and\nInnovation Agency (BRIDA) and the Department of Food Security and\nAgriculture.<\/p>\n
The core idea is simple but impactful: fish ponds are no longer\nseparated from mangrove forests. Mangrove trees are planted and\nmaintained within farming areas to create a natural ecosystem that\nsupports fish, shrimp, and crab growth while preserving coastal\nenvironmental quality.<\/p>\n
Notably, this approach isn\u2019t born from conservationist romance alone.\nSurabaya is proving that environmental protection doesn\u2019t have to\nconflict with residents\u2019 economic interests.<\/p>\n
For years, many mangrove areas in Indonesia were cleared to expand\nconventional fish ponds. Mangroves were seen as reducing production\nspace and narrowing farming areas, leaving coastlines vulnerable to\nerosion and saltwater intrusion.<\/p>\n
However, research shows mangroves have far more complex ecological\nfunctions: their roots stabilise sediment, absorb carbon, serve as fish\nbreeding grounds, and maintain water quality. This ecosystem creates a\nlife cycle that actually boosts fishery productivity.<\/p>\n
Surabaya is re-evaluating this relationship. The 2021 harvest of\nmullet in the Wonorejo mangrove area serves as an early example. From a\none-hectare silvofishery pond, the area produced around 1.25 tonnes of\nmullet and vannamei shrimp. The figures demonstrate that mangrove\nintegration does not automatically reduce farming yields.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/planting-green-harvesting-the-sea-1780137256", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }