Restoring Mangrove, Reviving Fishpond, Enhancing Coastal Community Resilience
Silvo-fishery is a mangrove restoration effort in abandoned/disused aquaculture ponds which combines mangrove planting and low input aquaculture. Silva (means forest in Latin) represents the mangrove rehabilitation aspect, and fishery represents the aquaculture aspect. Perhaps a more fitting term is silvo-aquaculture. Other terms widely used are Integrated Mangrove Aquaculture or Mangrove Associated Aquaculture.
Revitalizing abandoned fishpond into silvo-fishery requires big investment and collaborations among various stakeholders. In Labuhan Bajo Village, Sumbawa District, West Nusa Tenggara Province, we are using science, data and local knowledge to optimise silvo-fishery through Adaptive and Integrated Management System (AIMS). This optimisation is made possible by the support from AF-EU-UNDP Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA).
FIVE STEPS IN ADAPTIVE AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SILVOFISHERY
STEP 1: PONDS RECONSTRUCTION
Ponds reconstruction was financially supported by Yamamoto Lumber Forest Ltd and was implemented by the Labuhan Bajo Village Office, and the Local Group called Kabete Bajo in the Village (Fig. 1). The design was 60% mangrove and 40% ponds, with mangrove planted in the middle of the ponds. The reconstruction included revitalising inlet and outlet, allowing water management which is vital for the growth of mangrove and aquaculture commodities.
STEP 2: MULTI-SPECIES MANGROVE NURSERY AND PLANTING
The natural mangrove forest around the Labuhan Bajo Village consists of a mosaic of various species. To assist mangrove restoration through planting, we established multi-species mangrove nursery which can provide seedlings all year round. The seeds for the nursery are collected in the mangrove forest around the village (Fig. 2). In the nursery, seven (7) mangrove species (R. stylosa, R. mucronata, B. Gymnorhyza, A. marina, S. alba, S. caseolaris and L. racemosa) were cultivated (Fig 3). It is managed by Kabete Bajo Group. The survival rate of the mangrove propagules in silvo-fishery ponds are very high (~90%) because the local community undertake monitoring regularly and replace dead propagules with new ones (Fig. 4).
STEP 3: SCIENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT
To optimise the silvo-fishery and create best practice guideline, all management aspects are based on science/data. The flowchart below shows various analyses and workshops to improve science-based management of the silvo-fishery.
Environmental parameters essential for the aquaculture and mangroves are analysed using the simplest methods available (hand-held kit or equipment).
The results are used to design pre-treatment and decide suitable aquaculture commodities to be cultivated.
In this photo, the local community is facilitated to assess the ammonia level using ammonia kit.
The photos below show three potential commodities identified: milkfish, sea-cucumber and seaweed (gracilaria).
The Bajo people are experts in fishing-related activities. Silvo-fishery maintenance training was conducted, with many inputs from the community, in addition to inputs from aquaculture expert. In the photo below, the local community is installing fish net for fish seedlings to grow before being released to the ponds.
One of the most important pre-treatment activities is improving the natural feed (planktons). We conducted plankton analysis before and after treatment (Led by Nunung Supriatna, a student at the Marine Science Study Programme, University of Mataram).
AIMS for SILVO-FISHERY
This photo shows the member of women group analysing salinity using hand-refractometer.
Salinity is one of the important factors for aquaculture.
The AIMS for silvo-fishery was developed taking into considerations on how easy it is to be adopted by the local community.
The system is a combination of:
(i) Printed material showing the ideal value for essential environmental parameters and what treatments or advice that can be taken if the value is not ideal. The photo below shows the printed material.
(ii) Spreadsheet. The printed AIMS has a QR code which will link it to a spreadsheet containing easy to use information on how many fish fingerlings per area, how to calculate pre-treatment needs, feed ratio and feed conversion ratio, and how to decide what mangrove species are suitable to be planted.
STEP 4 and STEP 5 are ongoing. Planned to be completed by December 2024.
For more information about this project, please contact (Ms.) Eni Hidayati at eni.hidayati@unram.ac.id.