Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has reiterated its commitment to boosting Indonesia's aquaculture industry, with national farmed fish production reaching 5.02 million tons in the third quarter of 2025.
KKP's Director General of Aquaculture Haeru Rahayu noted that the latest figure represents 96.95 percent of the yearly target of 5.17 million tons.
"We are currently calculating production for the fourth quarter, covering October, November, and December. We hope this year's target of 5.17 million tons will be achieved," he remarked at a press conference on Indonesia's aquaculture commodity production in Jakarta on Thursday.
Without citing the exact figure, Rahayu highlighted that non-tax state revenue from the farmed fish sub-sector had surpassed its target by 391.55 percent, thanks to supportive measures implemented by KKP's technical units.
He also said that, beyond fish commodities, Indonesia's aquaculture industry had produced 8.2 million tons of seaweed as of September, representing 94.97 percent of the 2025 target of 8.63 million tons.
The official further explained that his ministry is adopting the blue economy approach, which seeks to balance ecological and economic benefits, in advancing Indonesia's aquaculture industry, with a focus on five high-value commodities: shrimp, seaweed, tilapia, crabs, and lobsters.
"It should be noted that our shrimp has a huge market, as we can generate from US$1.1 billion to US$2 billion from exports," Rahayu stated.
To further bolster national production, he continued, the KKP is pursuing three primary strategies: nurturing aquaculture pilot projects to serve as replicable best practices, revitalizing farming ponds, and strengthening the development of community-based aquaculture villages.
He cited as an example a pilot project centered on tilapia cultivation in Karawang District, West Java, where the KKP has designated a 315-hectare area as an aquaculture zone, which is expected to expand to 400 hectares by the end of this year.
Moreover, he reported that the KKP is currently working on a 2,000-hectare integrated shrimp farming zone in East Sumba District, East Nusa Tenggara, with an investment value estimated at Rp7 trillion (around US$420 million).
"If this project runs as planned, we can expect it to produce at least 75 thousand tons of shrimp and absorb some 10 thousand workers," he added.
Rahayu then affirmed that all ongoing aquaculture programs serve as a means to elevate the welfare of cultivators while ensuring environmental and resource sustainability.
