Successfully Won the First Winner for National Paper Competition Ideas in Improving the Welfare of Small Aquaculture Farmers

Aquaculture is an important component of Indonesian fisheries which contributes to national food security, income and employment generation and foreign exchange earnings. Another positive impact is that it reduces the pressure on marine natural resources. Aquaculture in Indonesia is practiced in fresh, brackish and marine water using a variety of species, production facilities and methods. Catches in Indonesia are expected to decline, and yet this country relies on fish caught (mainly through artisanal fishing) to provide their protein and minerals. Thus, Aquaculture becomes one of the mainstays when the catches of is now declining. The contribution of students' creative ideas for the development of  aquaculture is really required.

By writing an article on aquaculture, three students of the Department of Aquaculture (BDP), of the  Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, of  Bogor Agricultural University (FPIK IPB), cohort 52 (2015), namely Nurul Hude, Larasati Puspita Dewi, and Lisa Septia Ningsih, tried to offer their ideas for the development of aquaculture. They submitted their article as the expression of their ideas in improving the efficiency of aquaculture production through the One Month One Solution (OMOS) movement. This movement focuses on strengthening the economy of small farmers  in order to expand the scale of their business.

Their article was successfully won the as the first winner in the HIMAKUA Paper Competition Volume II. This competition was organized by Sriwijaya University's Aquaculture Student Association, Palembang, for its peak event conducted on 9-11 November 2017. This competition is the national scientific work competition for diploma and undergraduate students. This year the theme is "Peran Mahasiswa Akuakultur dalam Memanfaatkan Sumber Daya Lokal menuju Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (The Role of Aquaculture Students in Utilizing Local Resources towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)".

This national competition attracted plenty of both public and private universities throughout Indonesia such as IPB, Gadjah Mada University, General Soedirman University, Padjadjaran University, Semarang State University, and others to particcipate.

"To be successful for this event many preparations have to be made, such as presentation exercises, mental exercises, risk-taking, and improvements as advised by experienced people. This national event is the place where we learned innovations for our future, and also new experiences for us as we have never visited Sumatra, "said Nurul Hude. (Wied)