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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Environment & Climate

Indonesian farmers urged to replant mangroves to revive fish farm yields

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Coastal communities in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, are being encouraged to replant mangrove forests to restore declining fish farm productivity.
  • Local farmer groups are leading the initiative, citing a significant drop in yields since the 1990s when mangrove coverage was more extensive.
  • The effort is supported by the World Bank's Mangroves for Coastal Resilience (M4CR) program, which aims to rehabilitate mangrove areas across four Indonesian provinces.

In Sepatin Village, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, a renewed push is underway to restore mangrove forests, a vital ecosystem for coastal communities. The Kelompok Tani Hutan (KTH) Gemilang Sejahtera Abadi is urging local fish farmers to replant mangroves, aiming to reverse a trend of declining productivity that began in the 1990s.

Asharudin, chairman of KTH Gemilang Sejahtera Abadi, expressed concern over the diminished yields compared to the 1990s when mangrove coverage was abundant. "Please, let's try planting again so it returns to the original forest. In the 1990s, the results were quite good. Why have they declined in the 2020s?" he asked during a media event.

His group's initiative is rooted in personal experience as a fish farmer witnessing the direct impact of mangrove reduction on their livelihoods. Similar positive experiences are being reported by others, such as Andi Firmansyah, chairman of KTH Mangrove Borneo. He noted improvements in his own fish farm after replanting Rhizophora mangrove species.

Please, let's try planting again so it returns to the original forest. In the 1990s, the results were quite good. Why have they declined in the 2020s?

— AsharudinChairman of KTH Gemilang Sejahtera Abadi, explaining the motivation behind the mangrove replanting initiative.

"After planting these Rhizophora mangroves, thank God, it's starting to come back, and I feel it myself on my own fish farm," Firman stated. KTH Gemilang Sejahtera Abadi has committed to rehabilitating 121 hectares of mangroves in 2025, with a reported 79% success rate for planted seedlings. Further rehabilitation of 106 hectares is ongoing in 2026. The group also engages in nursery operations, plant maintenance, and community involvement in mangrove restoration projects.

These rehabilitation efforts are part of the Mangroves for Coastal Resilience (M4CR) program, a World Bank-supported initiative implemented in East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Riau, and North Sumatra. The program focuses on community-led mangrove rehabilitation in coastal areas.

After planting these Rhizophora mangroves, thank God, it's starting to come back, and I feel it myself on my own fish farm.

— Andi FirmansyahChairman of KTH Mangrove Borneo, sharing his positive experience with mangrove rehabilitation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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