Jakarta (ANTARA) – The village of Tegalretno in Kebumen District, Central Java, hosts a facility for the Area-Based Shrimp Farming (BUBK) project, a model of national fisheries industrialization that occupies 100 hectares of coastal land.More than an expanse of fish ponds, the site represents Indonesia's ambition to overhaul its aquaculture sector, shifting from traditional practices toward a modern industrial ecosystem backed by advanced technology.The government launched the project in March 2023 as a strategic tool to address environmental degradation that has often left traditional fish farmers facing harvest failures.Of the total potential area, 65 hectares have been transformed into a complex yet highly systematic hydrological network powered by a single primary intake unit. Seawater is channeled into a three-hectare main reservoir for distribution to 50 smaller reservoirs that serve a total of 139 shrimp cultivation ponds.Wastewater from cultivation activities then passes through 17 treatment installations and a two-hectare central treatment facility before returning to the sea. This integrated wastewater management system ensures the ambitious project does not harm the marine ecosystem with toxic residue.Complementing the BUBK facility are a disease monitoring laboratory, feed and post-harvest facilities, and logistical warehouses located close to one another, all designed to improve operational efficiency.The extensive investment in Kebumen's aquaculture sector is beginning to bear fruit as the site enters its fourth year of operation, with each hectare capable of producing around 40 tonnes of shrimp.This progress even drew President Prabowo Subianto to join farmers during a bumper harvest of vannamei shrimp on May 23, 2026.On top of that, the 139 productive ponds have cumulatively yielded 1,150 tonnes of shrimp, generating Rp83.34 billion (around US$4.7 million) in non-tax state revenue.It is worth noting that the BUBK project is designed as an economic powerhouse with broad impacts across key sectors rather than an exclusive program aimed solely at generating state revenue.Assuming shrimp prices remain stable at around Rp70,000 per kilogram, or about US$3,927 per tonne, the aquaculture site is well positioned to generate Rp67.2 billion in a single production cycle, with annual revenue potentially reaching Rp134.4 billion.The project's benefits are particularly significant for the local workforce, employing 145 permanent workers and 500 daily workers, all residents of Kebumen.This success story at the microeconomic level has contributed to a substantial shift in the policy orientation of state budget management.Driven by Kebumen's growth prospects, the government decided to postpone several new office-building projects and redirect spending toward productive, export-oriented initiatives in food-related sectors.The move is intended to generate more tangible economic benefits for the public.Government calculations have concluded that economic development hinges on job creation and improved grassroots welfare, not merely the construction of government buildings.That realization has encouraged Indonesia to position shrimp as an emerging backbone of foreign exchange earnings in the marine sector.The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries reported that Indonesia's fishery exports rose 5.2 percent in value to US$6.27 billion, with shrimp topping the list at US$1.87 billion.Shrimp exports far exceeded tuna exports at US$1.04 billion and squid, cuttlefish, and octopus exports at US$889.73 million.Expansion plansThe BUBK project in Kebumen has proven to be a catalyst for broader development.On a much larger scale, the government has begun developing a 2,000-hectare shrimp farming area in Waingapu, East Sumba District, East Nusa Tenggara. The project targets annual production of 52,800 tonnes of shrimp through an investment worth Rp7.2 trillion.Moreover, plans are underway to develop a 200-hectare shrimp cultivation complex in Gorontalo Province and utilize 14,000 hectares of fish ponds along West Java's northern coast to boost aquaculture production.This ambitious endeavor forms part of the government's broader strategy to strengthen national food security amid global geopolitical uncertainty that could disrupt supply chains.President Prabowo has said Indonesia achieved self-sufficiency in key carbohydrate-based food commodities, including rice and corn, within 19 months of his administration.With carbohydrate demand largely addressed, the government is now directing greater efforts toward animal husbandry and aquaculture to secure protein supplies.The government is also targeting gradual beef self-sufficiency within the next four to five years.This objective remains closely tied to the fisheries sector, given Indonesia's vast maritime and archipelagic resources.All things considered, it is increasingly evident that under the Prabowo administration, Indonesia is determined to maximize its marine potential through standardized fisheries industries, as reflected by the extensive shrimp ponds along Kebumen's coastline.The government is positioning fisheries modernization at the heart of its food self-sufficiency drive, with the goal of ensuring adequate protein supplies while increasing the value added generated from domestic natural resources.