Samarinda (ANTARA) - One\u2019s footsteps feel gently swaying to the\nrhythm of the Mahakam River\u2019s current while stepping across the ulin\nwood arrangement framing 36 floating net cages in Jembayan Village, Loa\nKulu Subdistrict, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
From beneath the water\u2019s surface, the lively splashing sounds can be\nheard, echoing as thousands of tilapia fish snap at the scattered feed.\nStanding atop these floating net cages, which produce up to one tonne\nper month, is Muhmajadi. He is a fish farmer with 24 years of\nexperience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese tilapia have lifted our family\u2019s economy, though the journey\nto reach this position has not been easy,\u201d said Muhmajadi with a\nsmile.<\/p>\n
The year 2005 remains a vivid tale of sorrow in the memories of Loa\nKulu\u2019s fish farmers. That year, from the cages along the Mahakam River\u2019s\nbanks in Loa Kulu Subdistrict, carcasses of carp fish scattered\neverywhere. The Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) outbreak swept away capital,\neffort, and hopes of the local farmers.<\/p>\n
Muhmajadi, who had pioneered carp fish farming since 2002, had to\nwitness how his hard work was rendered futile in mere weeks. Not a few\nlocal farmers ended up closing shop.<\/p>\n
However, giving up to the circumstances was not an option for the man\nwho now serves as Chairman of the Gawi Baimbai Sejahtera Fish Farmers\nGroup (Pokdakan) in Jembayan Village.<\/p>\n
He and his group members racked their brains and decided to pivot.\nMuhmajadi shifted his main commodity from carp to tilapia, which proved\nmore resilient, though he still allocated some space for carp and baung\nfish.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, the water splashing in Loa Kulu\u2019s cages is lively once again,\u201d\nsaid Muhmajadi.<\/p>\n
From his 36 floating net cages, nourished by the Mahakam River\u2019s\ncurrent, Muhmajadi routinely harvests up to one tonne of tilapia every\nmonth. For one pokdakan, the total tilapia harvest reaches over 10\ntonnes.<\/p>\n
Loa Kulu Aquaculture Fishing Village has a total of 40 fish farmer\ngroups. These groups range from hatcheries to fish fattening\nspecialists.<\/p>\n
The tilapia from that village, now the favourite for fulfilling needs\nin East Kalimantan, is a potential that the local government continues\nto develop. Therefore, abundant natural resources will not be optimal\nwithout being matched by competent human resources. Realising this,\neducational intervention becomes a key step.<\/p>\n
In 2025, Muhmajadi along with eight other representatives from\nvarious villages in Kutai Kartanegara\u2014including two from Jembayan\nVillage\u2014was sent by the local government to undergo intensive education\nfor seven months at the People\u2019s Fisheries School (SPR) of Bandung\nInstitute of Technology (ITB).<\/p>\n
For traditional farmers, this is a leap forward. In that short\nuniversity programme, they were not only taught how to feed fish but\ncomprehensively trained in modern aquaculture techniques, scientific\ndisease mitigation, and collective business management.<\/p>\n
As a model pokdakan, Muhmajadi\u2019s responsibilities now extend beyond\nhis own cages. He and his group go into the community, providing direct\nguidance to other fish farmer groups.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-splashing-of-tilapia-in-loa-kulu-sustains-food-security-in-east-kalimantan-1776009041", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }