Monitorday.com – Integrated aquaculture is hailed as a game changer in achieving Indonesia’s Golden Vision 2045. This was asserted by Prof. Rokhmin Dahuri during the National Aquaculture Consolidation Symposium on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) at the Undiksha Auditorium, Buleleng, Bali.
Speaking at the MAI (Indonesian Aquaculture Society) National Working Meeting and the inauguration of MAI Bali’s regional board, Prof. Rokhmin Dahuri, who also serves as MAI Chairman, said that aquaculture offers a strategic solution to Indonesia’s entrenched problems such as poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, and economic inequality.
“Our aquaculture potential is the largest in the world about 100 million tons per year. Yet, we’ve only realized around 15 million tons so far. This sector produces not just food, but also raw materials for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, bioenergy, and even bioplastics,” Prof. Rokhmin explained.
According to him, if managed modernly, inclusively, and sustainably, the aquaculture industry could push Indonesia’s economic growth up to 10 percent annually, far above the stagnant 5 percent average in recent years.
“We have everything: abundant natural resources, a strategic geo-economic position, and a demographic bonus. All that’s left is strong political will, good governance, and innovation,” he emphasized.
Prof. Rokhmin expressed regret over the many missed opportunities in the past decade due to an unfriendly investment climate, inconsistent policies, and even criminalization of fish farmers. Many foreign industries relocated to Vietnam and Malaysia instead of Indonesia.
“If we don’t fix this soon, we risk facing a demographic disaster millions of young people becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), poor human resources quality, and more Indonesians seeking jobs abroad,” he cautioned.
He also highlighted the alarming rates of stunting, malnutrition, and poverty that continue to plague Indonesia. Based on World Bank poverty standards, over 60 percent of Indonesians are still classified as poor. Yet, with the right investments in aquaculture, millions of jobs could be created, thanks to the sector’s labor-intensive nature and its strong roots in rural, coastal, and outer island communities.
He stressed the importance of a structural economic transformation through integrated aquaculture shifting productive resources from traditional sectors to high-value industries like marine biotechnology. This aligns with Indonesia’s goal of becoming a prosperous, advanced nation with per capita income exceeding $14,000 by 2045.
Beyond producing conventional products like fish and shrimp, Prof. Rokhmin spotlighted the ocean’s non-conventional potential bioactives for pharmaceuticals, health foods, organic fertilizers, and even algae-based biofuel. He called Indonesia’s oceans an “endless blue treasure” waiting to be unlocked with technology and innovation.
MAI, he said, is ready to lead this transformation by promoting impactful research and innovation (beyond just academic publications), strengthening the investment ecosystem, and fostering pentahelix collaboration among government, academia, industry, communities, and media.
“If we all work together, I believe our aquaculture industry can become the backbone of Golden Indonesia. Don’t just see the ocean as an inheritance, but as our future,” he concluded, quoting scripture and wise words: ‘
Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves’.
The event, attended by hundreds from across Indonesia, concluded with the inauguration of the MAI Bali board and a resounding call to make the ocean the driving force of economic growth and national prosperity.