The high demand in the global market for shrimp and fish commodities has led more cultivators to maximize the role of shrimp seed feed (benur). It includes Artemia sp. as natural seawater, freshwater, ornamental fish, or crustacean seeds feed because it has high nutrition and a good mouth opening.
Universitas Airlangga’s Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPK) lecturers and students successfully mass-produced Artemia to help shrimp and salt farmers. The FPK UNAIR lecturers are: Prof Mochmmad Amin Alamsjah Ir MSi PhD, Dr Woro Hastuti Satyantini Ir MSi, Dr A Shofy Mubarak SPi MSi, Dr Eng Patmawati SPi Msi, Dr Eng Sapto Andriyono SPi MT, Dr Laksmi Sulmartiwi SPi MP, Daruti SPi MP, Muhamad Amin SPi MSc PhD.
Cultivators kept using commercial Artemia, marketed in canned packaging weighing 425 grams priced around Rp 700.000. It could increase expense costs in fish or shrimp farming. Therefore, Reza Istiqomatul Hidayah, FPK UNAIR postgraduate student and the Artemia cultivation team technician, revealed that Artemia can be a golden opportunity that could be maximized.
Through the financial opportunity from LPDP’s 14 billion multi-year research fund carried out from 2021 to 2023. Their party studied three suitable treatments for producing the best Artemia biomass and salt production.
“The first treatment is with Dunaliella sp. but the growth was worst compared to others. The second was using Tetraselmis sp. It resulted in large feces production. Third, using Chaetoceros sp., the result shows good and big Artemia because of the high protein,” explained Reza when UNAIR NEWS interviewed on Wednesday, March 09, 2022.
Entering the second year of LPDP funding, her party continues to do experiments until finally found that the feed combination of chaetoceros sp. and rice bran is suitable for Artemia sp. growth and nutritional consistency.
“Currently pathogen-free test process is done, so God willing, we predicted this second year the benefit could be felt by many fish or shrimp farmers,” the Artemia technician continued.
Besides producing Artemia biomasses, the funding recipient team also produced salt from artemia farming waste. “Water from the siphon process (ed: waste cleaning) is dried under the sun every day, and then it will become crystallized salt, so this cultivation is not wasted,” she added.
Furthermore, to improve salt farm productivity and improve artemia cultivation massively, FPK UNAIR has cooperated with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Madura Island, including Pamekasan and Sumenep. Those locations are very potential, and they can improve the economy.