From Acceleration Event to Collaboration: Building Together for Progress
Aug 2023 – now
Starting from their meeting in the Blue Finance Accelerator (BFA) program, Mina Ceria Nusantara (Mina Ceria) and Sambung Asa have birthed a collaborative project with the concept of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA). Integrating Fish Farming and Seaweed Cultivation
Mina Ceria is a fish farming service company operating in the northern coast of Java with a focus on enhancing fish farming productivity in the region. Facing declining fish farming productivity due to environmental pollution and climate change, Mina Ceria was compelled to develop sustainable fish farming strategies while finding the right partners.
On the other hand, Sambung Asa, involved in seaweed farming and trading, was actively seeking strategic land in the northern coast of Java. “The economic and environmental potential in the coastal areas is promising. Moreover, Sambung Asa is also seeking partners to develop business sustainably,” said Julius Bernardus, CEO & Co-Founder of Sambung Asa.
From these two backgrounds and followed by shared goals, the idea of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) collaboration emerged, in the form of integrated seaweed and fish farming in separate ponds. IMTA itself is a form of marine farming that utilizes ecosystem services provided by low trophic level organisms to be adapted as mitigation of high trophic level organism waste.
Julius explained that the waste from fish farming serves as nutrients for seaweed. Seaweed acts as an absorber of organic compounds from waste and improves water quality (bioremediation). The water, after bioremediation by seaweed, is reused for fish farming water and the remaining portion that is not reused is safely discharged into water bodies, creating a sustainable environmental cycle.
“This collaboration has been ongoing since August 2023. Mina Ceria provides pond land, storage warehouses, and operational manpower. Meanwhile, Sambung Asa plays a role in funding, technical assistance, and access to seaweed buyers,” said Rizky A. Maulana, CEO & Co-Founder of Mina Ceria Nusantara.
Rizky stated that through this collaboration, Mina Ceria and Sambung Asa aim to increase production area to 60 hectares by 2030, achieve seaweed production of 200 tons per month, achieve fish production of 20 tons per month, employ 180 workers in fish and seaweed farming, increase the welfare of farmers by raising income by 20% above the regional minimum wage, and achieve 100% water quality standards.