By: Usmawati Anggita Sakti (Communication Assistant Seafood Savers)

The shrimp pond owned by a partner of one of Seafood Savers' member companies, PT Bogatama Marinusa, was bustling with people carrying mangrove seedlings on the afternoon of June 23, 2018. Some walked to distribute mangrove seedlings and the rest were on the edge of the pond preparing to plant them. By late afternoon, 10,000 mangrove seedlings had been planted on the inner side of the pond.

The planting that was held in the coastal area of Mattirosompe Subdistrict, Pinrang Regency on that date was the culmination of the rehabilitation of the pond area which had also been carried out a few days earlier by the company and the team involved. This activity is one of the efforts of WWF and its partners in reforesting the environment, especially around shrimp ponds. As is known, mangroves act as a buffer zone, water filter and also prevent abrasion.

"The ecosystem services provided by mangrove habitats in coastal areas and ponds are crucial. Therefore, rehabilitation of mangrove areas is one of the main agendas in the Aquaculture Improvement Program activities that we encourage to be carried out by fish/shrimp farmers who convert mangrove habitats into ponds at the beginning of the construction period," Cut Desyana, Aquaculture Coordinator WWF-Indonesia.

In organizing the event, WWF and PT Bogatama Marinusa did not only involve their partners. Representatives from the Pinrang Regency Marine and Fisheries Office, local residents and as many as 60 volunteers were directly involved in the mangrove seedling planting process. Volunteers are the young generation of environmentalist community activists in Makassar and Pinrang Regency including Aquaculture Celebes Community, Marine Buddies Makassar, Earth Hour Makassar, Aquaculture Study Club of Makassar, KOSALAM, Mapala Marabunta, Sobat Bumi Makassar, Pinrang Walkers and several other communities from UNHAS and UMPAR campuses. Japan's Consumer Cooperation Union as the buyer company of PT Bogatama Marinusa also supported this activity by participating in planting mangrove seedlings.

"We ask for direction from various stakeholders in order to maintain the productivity and quality of shrimp ponds in Pinrang Regency in order to compete in the international market. This mangrove planting is important and is part of the improvement process towards environmental and social certification," added Cut Desyana.

Equally, in addition to running the Aquaculture Improvement Program (AIP), WWF and PT Bogatama Marinusa have improved cooperative relationships with various parties to accelerate the achievement of responsible and sustainable tiger shrimp farming in Pinrang Regency.

"This second mangrove planting is a pilot project of PT Bogatama Marinusa's AIP. However, of course we will continue the planting activities and in the future conduct other activities according to the AIP agenda with other stakeholders," said Irsan Centama, Director of Marketing of PT Bogatama Marinusa.