Due to climate change, it is crucial right now to have access to food that is safe to eat, which includes fish and prawn protein. Current restrictions on prawn aquaculture development include diminishing water quality, an increasingly unpredictable environment, declining product quality, and the appearance of pollutants in the manufactured goods, which result in market rejection, particularly for exports. In Indonesia, traditional farming has actually been conducted by a large number of people, although it is unpopular due to its low production (200 kg/ha).
Using plant extracts as prebiotics, antibacterials , immunostimulants, and natural pesticides instead of chemicals, smart silvofishery is a method of raising prawns that are a part of mangrove ecosystems. Each pond contains a mangrove region and a pond area that are divided by water gates. It uses a mangrove region for filtration, sedimentation, cyclic activity, and a biodiversity area made up of natural prawns, fish larvae, and eggs for slow processing. Mangrove litter can also deliver a total nutritional value of 5.28 ppm/ha. In comparison to intensive rearing methods, prawns raised with smart silvofishery can produce yields of 400 kg/ha and have higher concentrations of the amino acids AA, DHA, omega 3, omega 6, and omega 9. Some of the advantages of smart silvofishery to support the blue economy of Indonesia and the world are: 1) Environmentally friendly management. 2) Optimising available natural resources. Can be combined with ecotourism and mangroves. 3) Low operating costs. 4) Partial harvest and can be managed with polyculture. 5) The Revenue Cost Ratio (R/C) value is > 1, which shows that fish and shrimp farming using the Smart Silvofishery concept is feasible from an economic, environmental, and social perspective. 6) The quality of shrimp and fish meat, especially the quality of amino acids and fatty acids, is higher than shrimp that are reared intensively. 7) The cultivation system is carried out in a sustainable manner, prioritising the carrying capacity of the environment and maintaining the existence of functioning mangroves. There are at least two advantages to implementing silvofishery, both on and off the farm.
Benefits of smart silvofishery pond management on the farm:
1. Mangrove litter is a source of nutrients for ponds in the form of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
2. Nutrients from mangrove litter support the growth of natural food for fish and shrimp, increasing the growth of plankton and klekap.
3. Mangrove litter contains antibacterials, which can reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria.
4. Because of the high availability of natural food, fish and shrimp growth is uniform and high.
Benefits of off-farm smart silvofishery:
1. Fish and shrimp have a higher amino acid content.
2. Fish and shrimp have higher levels of fatty acids.
3. Does not contain antibiotics.
4. Lower Cu heavy metal content
5. Shrimp cholesterol content is lower
6. Uniform harvest size
7. The crabs’ molting percentage is higher and more uniform.
8. Shrimp do not rot easily.
In addition, the management of traditional ponds with smart silvofishery has the opportunity for synergistic management in the community; the existence of multi-species that are cultivated will open up opportunities for processing into multi-products, especially involving women on the coast. Of course, this will slowly encourage community economic transfers that were previously passive to become active. The expansion of ponds associated with mangrove ecosystems will have a positive impact on the environment, mitigate climate change, and, of course, be sustainable.