KKP: Waingapu Shrimp Ponds Designed to be Environmentally Friendly
The development of the integrated shrimp farming ponds in Waingapu, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has been designed with environmental considerations in mind through the application of best practices and international benchmarks, according to officials from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP).
Director General of Aquaculture at KKP, Tb Haeru Rahayu, stated that the pond design incorporates a strict water management system to avoid pollution of the surrounding ecosystem.
“We have studied various benchmarks, adopting their strengths and discarding their weaknesses. Seawater intake is directed to the reservoir pump, then to the main tank, before entering the pond plots,” he said during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.
To maintain environmental quality, the shrimp farming area is equipped with a 60-hectare wastewater treatment installation (IPAL). According to him, the IPAL system is designed both at the cluster and communal levels, ensuring that aquaculture waste does not contaminate the marine ecosystem.
Tb Haeru added that the construction of the Waingapu shrimp ponds is taking place on open, unproductive land that is not a conservation area or protected forest.
Furthermore, he stated that sustainable aquaculture practices will be implemented in every production process, including the use of high-quality feed, quality seeds, strict biosecurity, and regular monitoring of diseases and water quality.
The potential for utilising new renewable energy (EBT) in the form of solar panels is also considered wide open, given the availability of extensive land.
Tb Haeru added that the Waingapu shrimp farming project employs a design-and-build approach to allow the design to be continuously adjusted to field dynamics.
“If the design tender is conducted at the beginning, flexibility is limited. With design-and-build, we can guide and adjust the design according to needs,” he said.
The Waingapu shrimp farming area is located in Palakahembi Village and Watumbaka Sub-district, Pandawal District, East Sumba Regency.
This project is developed under the Integrated Shrimp Farming (ISF) concept, encompassing upstream to downstream facilities such as seawater intake, main tanks, cultivation ponds, wastewater treatment installation (IPAL), supporting industrial facilities, as well as the procurement of equipment and machinery.
With a land area of around 2,150 hectares and a built-up area of 1,361 hectares, the Waingapu ISF area is projected to produce 52,000 tonnes of shrimp per year.
KKP projects that this project will absorb around 8,820 workers, both in the construction and operational phases.
The government targets this project to be fully completed within three years.