Seaweeds and Blue economy in Indonesia: current state, opportunities, and challenges
La Ode M. Aslan, Abd. Rahman Nurdin, Wa Ode Sifatu, L O Aslin

Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and marine Science, Halu Oleo University

Abstract

Seaweed has been used widely in many sectors for food, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and bioenergy. In these recent days, seaweed is a main element for blue growth and is expected to contribute significantly to the development of the growing Indonesian blue economy. Several R & D programs and Innovation projects in Indonesia result in the establishment and development of a seaweed farming in the most Indonesian coastal areas. However, seaweed cultivation and bioprocessing is still limited in the farming area, particularly in eastern Indonesia where seaweeds are abundant on its coast. Ongoing projects from different research institutes demonstrate that seaweeds from the Indonesian coasts are a source of valuable compounds and that they can be used as a natural renewable resource suitable for many industrial applications. Furthermore, specific research activities on seaweed cultivation have been conducted particularly for Kappaphycus and Gracillaria. In this paper, we highlight the potential of the seaweed sector in Indonesia in terms of biodiversity, cultivation, and bioprocessing and discuss the challenges in various aspects, i.e., biology, building capacity, technology, or policy, that currently hinder the expansion of a sustainable Indonesian seaweed industry.

Keywords: Seaweed, cultivation, bioprocessing and the challenges

Topic: Sustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries