Jakarta: The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is preparing four seaweed industrialization zones to capitalize on the potential of seaweed commodities.
"We have tried plotting on how these (areas) can become clusters of seaweed industries. It is hoped that later these would become protected areas and only for the development of seaweed cultivation," the Ministry's Director of Seedlings, Nono Hartanto stated during the "Business Investment Opportunities in Seaweed" talk show here on Tuesday.
According to Hartanto, the four areas to be developed as seaweed industrialization are Nunukan, North Kalimantan; Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi; East Sumba and Rote, East Nusa Tenggara; and Tual, Maluku.
Hartanto highlighted that the considerable potential and opportunities for seaweed business development in Indonesia as Indonesia is the second-largest seaweed producer in the world after China, with production reaching nine million tons in 2021.
Meanwhile, only about 102 hectares, or 0.8 percent, had been utilized of the 12.3 million hectares of identified seaweed area.
"This means there are still opportunities to develop seaweed cultivation," Hartanto remarked.
He stated that the technology utilized for seaweed cultivation was quite simple. In addition, seaweed can be harvested in just about 35-40 days.
Moreover, seaweed cultivation is able to create jobs and is deemed strategic, as it can improve the welfare of coastal communities.
"What is now an issue is that seaweed cultivation is sustainable and it is a commodity that highly absorbs carbon, and this is the potential for carbon trading," he remarked.
Seaweed's carbon absorption capacity reaches 173 tons per hectare through photosynthesis.
Furthermore, he affirmed that in supporting the special zones for seaweed industrialization, the government has built several seaweed cultivation villages as stipulated in Ministerial Decree No. 16 of 2022.
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