BIOTROP and the Directorate General of Aquaculture of Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) agreed to continue their collaboration in developing seaweed seedlings through tissue culture by extending the effectivity period of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for another three years from 2016 to 2019.

The extended MoU was signed by BIOTROP Director Dr Irdika Mansur and MMAF Director General of Aquaculture Dr Slamet Soebjakto on 7 November 2016 in Jakarta. The first MoU expired in 2015.

This collaboration aims to strengthen research, engineering, technology transfer and multiplication of superior seaweed seedlings using tissue culture techniques. BIOTROP’s tissue cultured seaweed grows faster than conventional seaweed and can also be more resistant to diseases and environmental stress. If all Indonesian seaweed farmers would use the Centre’s tissue cultured seaweed seedlings, the national seaweed production could increase from 11 million tons in 2016 to 13.4 million tons in 2017.

Since 2013, SEAMEO BIOTROP has been providing technical assistance in seaweed tissue culture technology to tissue culture laboratories in eight agencies of aquaculture under the Directorate General. These agencies include Center for Marine Aquaculture Development of Lampung, Center for Mariculture of Lombok, Center for Mariculture of Batam, Center for Mariculture of Ambon, Center for Brackish Water Aquaculture Development of Jepara, Center for Brackish Water Aquaculture of Takalar, Center for Brackish Water Aquaculture of Ujung Batee-NAD and Center for Brackish Water Aquaculture of Situbondo. 

Under the MoU, BIOTROP is also expected to provide the above mentioned laboratories with seaweed plantlets for further multiplication in their respective areas of responsibilities. Distribution of tissue cultured seaweed seedlings to the seaweed farmer throughout Indonesia would be carried out by the Directorate General.