- Residents of Sapala and Bararawa, HSU, are developing tauman fish farming through four cages containing a total of 4,000 fish as a new source of livelihood after rejecting plans for an oil palm plantation to enter.
- This program is implemented under a social forestry scheme, with assistance from AP2SI and Walhi South Kalimantan, and has begun to provide economic benefits and strengthen community mutual cooperation.
- The local government is promoting business sustainability, including feed solutions and strengthening the marketing chain, with the first harvest scheduled for December 2025.
BANJARTIMES– Communities living in the swampy areas of Paminggir District, North Hulu Sungai (HSU) Regency, South Kalimantan, are continually seeking ways to strengthen their livelihoods. One such approach is through the cultivation of tauman fish, a locally valuable fish that is resilient to changes in water quality.
In Sapala and Bararawa villages, residents now manage four floating fish cages on the swamp. Two are managed by the Rawa Sejahtera Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) in Sapala, and the other two by the Rawa Maju KUPS in Bararawa. Each cage holds around a thousand fish, bringing the total population to 4,000.
“"This cultivation isn't just a business. It's our way of demonstrating that swamps and forests can be managed without damaging the environment, while also benefiting the community," said Zakirin, Chairman of the Rawa Sejahtera KUPS.
The price of fish at the village level ranges from Rp 35,000 to Rp 45,000 per kilogram, while in Banjarmasin it can reach Rp 50,000. With this venture, residents hope to have a more secure source of income than relying solely on wild catches.
From Fishing to Cultivation
For Masrani, a resident of Bararawa, the change is palpable. Until now, he had relied on his daily catch of papuyu and haruan fish.
“"I usually earn Rp 50,000 to Rp 70,000 a day. During the slow fishing season, it's often not enough," he said. "With the cages, we have a more secure source of income."”
A similar story comes from Nurhayati, a member of KUPS Sapala. Since childhood, she has been accustomed to helping her family catch fish in the swamp.
“"Before, we did everything ourselves. If there was a problem, we had to take care of it ourselves," he said. "Now we share the responsibility. If one fish cage has a problem, everyone pitches in to help."”
According to Nurhayati, maintaining water quality is a challenge in itself.
“"Tauman fish are sensitive. If the water is cloudy or changes too quickly, many small fish die. We need training and medication to address this," he said.
From Palm Oil Rejection to Swamp Management
Tauman fish farming didn't just emerge out of nowhere. It stemmed from local residents' concerns about plans to convert swampland into oil palm plantations.
From 2017 to 2019, rumors of the plan grew louder. Residents of Sapala and Bararawa gathered in various meetings to discuss their future. Ultimately, a decision was made: the oil palm project was rejected.
“"If there are oil palms, fish will decrease, buffalo will die. We won't be able to survive anymore," Zakirin said firmly.
After rejecting oil palm plantations, residents realized they needed a legal basis for managing the swamps. With support from the Indonesian Social Forestry Association (AP2SI) and the South Kalimantan Forum for the Environment (Walhi), they formed a Village Forest Management Institution (LPHD).
These efforts bore fruit in 2021, when the LPHD obtained a Decree from the Minister of Environment and Forestry granting residents official rights to manage the swamp area.
Tauman fish cultivation was then chosen as the initial step, in line with the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation Number 9 of 2021, which encourages the development of silvofishery, or a sustainable forest and fisheries management system.
Strengthening Mutual Cooperation
Firdaus, a village official from Sapala, saw the changes that had occurred in his residents.
“"They used to operate independently. Now they're working together. We're monitoring and providing price information to ensure residents don't suffer any losses," he said.
Latif, a representative from Bararawa Village, added that the spirit of mutual cooperation is now increasingly felt. Challenges remain, such as unifying perceptions and dividing up work among members.
Although results are beginning to emerge, much work remains to be done. Institutional strengthening, technical skills development, access to capital, and marketing are the focus of support from AP2SI and village governments.
Basrun, a field assistant from the Indonesian Social Forestry Management Association (AP2SI), said mentoring is key to this process. He observed that residents are increasingly understanding forest management and group economic strategies.
"During these activities, the community began to truly understand how to manage the forest. They also began to understand what to do after the permit was issued, including group economic steps," said Basrun.
However, he acknowledged that challenges remain, including residents' limited proficiency in Indonesian, which makes it difficult for some to express their opinions in discussions. "Communication barriers also make them tend to remain silent during discussions. This is a challenge in itself," he said.
Although harvests are still small and unstable, Basrun is optimistic that this business has bright prospects. With ongoing support, he believes this group can become an example of swamp management that provides economic benefits without damaging the environment.
The Government Emphasizes Feed Solutions and Downstream Processing
Local government support also strengthens this program. Iwan Ruswandi, Head of Fisheries Resources Monitoring at the HSU Fisheries Service, assessed that the fish farming carried out by residents is technically sound.
However, he emphasized the importance of considering feed availability early on. "If we're pursuing a sustainable farming concept, we have to consider alternative feeds. We can't just rely on wild catches," Iwan said. He encouraged residents to start cultivating their own feed, such as by building special ponds or using maggots.
If this is not anticipated, he is worried that residents will catch food fish from nature in a way that damages the environment.
Iwan also appreciated the program for its comprehensive coverage of marketing and product processing. He believes a complete business chain from upstream to downstream is crucial for maintaining sustainability. "As long as sustainability is consistently addressed, this program has bright prospects," he said.
Ahmad Miftahul Pauji of AP2SI added that most of this year's targets had been achieved. However, he emphasized the need for intensive mentoring to strengthen the group's institutions and enable women to actively participate in every stage of the program.
“"The output of mentoring must be visible in the form of institutional strengthening and women's involvement," said Ahmad.
He said the initial budget of IDR 200 million covered basic needs, from providing production equipment to business planning.
AP2SI South Kalimantan itself has held workshops and business meetings bringing together representatives from the two villages with business actors and other stakeholders. These meetings are expected to formulate sustainability strategies and strengthen the group's position in the fisheries economic chain.
Meanwhile, the first harvest is planned to be held in December 2025 in both villages.
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