0 Seaweed farming can be promoted for ecotourism

The Indonesian Association of Seaweed (ARLI) suggested that seaweed farming in Kutuh village, Nusa Dua, could be developed as a focus of ecotourism to bring it into the tourism sector. The association’s chairman, Safari Azis, said recently that the daily activities of the local farmers could be a unique attraction for tourists. “Bali, especially Nusa Dua, is one of the first areas in Indonesia to cultivate seaweed. 

Our country is also the largest producer of Euchema cottonii seaweed. This encourages us to further develop this sector and preserve it amid massive tourism development,” he said. Seaweed farming in the village has been threatened by the massive development of tourism facilities, with a lot of property construction taking place in the area, especially around Geger Beach. Azis said the government should manage the area to protect seaweed farmers from being expelled from their lands. 

“During the last couple of years, tourism development at Geger Beach has been very fast, as proven by the sprawling construction of hotels and other tourism facilities. This has threatened the survival of seaweed farming.” These developments have also caused the number of seaweed farmers to decrease to only around 30 families, who have to go further to find vacant land to dry their seaweed under the sun. 

Azis regretted that seaweed production in the area had decreased, as the commodity had been a major contributor to the economy of coastal people. “We hope the local government could implement a spatial planning master plan, which divides areas for tourism and seaweed farming. Seaweed farming could be part of tourism, and it is crucial to protect the coastal environment from abrasion,” he said. 

“Seaweed farming and tourism could support each other and be mutually beneficial,” he stated. He hoped the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry and local tourism institutions would develop seaweed-based ecotourism in the area. Working together with the local farmers’ groups, the association will use its networking to help local farmers to market their product more widely and generate a higher quality and quantity. 

This year in April, for the first time Bali will host the 21st International Seaweed Symposium. Participants from 60 countries will discuss the latest developments in the seaweed industry, including the newest technology and the seaweed business worldwide. The symposium has, for more than 60 years, been the foremost international symposium for individuals and organizations concerned with seaweed research and utilization. 

Indonesia produced around 5 million tons of seaweed last year. The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has targeted a 2-million-ton increase in production this year. Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said recently in Bali that besides increasing production, the ministry would also encourage farmers to learn how to process seaweed into products with added value. The ministry’s data showed that seaweed could be processed into more than 500 end products, including food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. 

Seaweed contributed significantly around 65.2 percent, or 5,170,201 tons, to cultivated fishery products last year, which totaled 7,928,962 tons. “In 2014, we have targeted 118,000 tons of seaweed to be used as a material for other industries.” Besides targeting seaweed to fulfill industrial needs, the ministry also targeted production of 1,182 tons of wet seaweed from 19,000 hectares of land.

source : bali daily