The Forestry Office, along with the National Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), will build the first modern permanent mangrove nursery in Indonesia in Sengkong Village, Tana Tidung, North Kalimantan.

“The nursery that will be built is the first modern nursery in Indonesia that contains 51 million mangrove seeds,” North Kalimantan Governor Zainal Arifin Paliwang stated in Tanjug Selor, Bulungan, on Tuesday.

This development will not only meet the mangrove demand in North Kalimantan, but it will also accommodate other regions in proximity.

Some 109 hectares will be used for the development of the first modern nursery. If this is realized, it will open up job opportunities for local residents, he remarked.

The government will apply the silvofishery method for its rehabilitation. Silvofishery is an agroforestry pattern applied for the protection of mangrove regions.

Farmers can cultivate fish, shrimp, and other commercial commodities to increase their income along with fulfilling their obligation to care for the mangrove forest, the governor affirmed.

“This system could increase the people’s income while also preserving the mangrove forest,” he stated.

There have been significant developments in the utilization of silvofishery. In fact, the system has been proven to economically benefit the government and fishermen, he noted.

“This means that the mangrove functions as a nursery ground while also assisting in fishery development,” he elaborated.

In other words, two benefits can be obtained from this symbiosis. It would not only yield a decent fishery result, but the cost to maintain it will also be cheap.

“This can be utilized in North Kalimantan. Half of the locations in Indonesia have implemented this method,” Arifin stated.

The government aims to rehabilitate 600 thousand hectares of mangrove stretches across Indonesia. From the nine targeted provinces, some 190 thousand hectares are in North Kalimantan.

Source: Antara News