JAKARTA, 22 May 2026 – To address one of the most pressing structural challenges in Indonesia’s blue economy, key stakeholders gathered for the "Indonesia Aquaculture Financing Dialogue: Unlocking Sustainable Investment for Inclusive Blue Growth",. Held as a two-day physical workshop on 20–21 May 2026 at the Lumire Hotel and Convention Centre in Central Jakarta, the event was organised by QED Research Consulting in collaboration with Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management and Blue Green Advisors, and in partnership with the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and supported by the COAST Facility Indonesia.
Intensive Delivery and Stakeholder Engagement
The event successfully brought together 75 registered participants, including government representatives, investors, commercial and rural bank providers, and SME producers across the marine aquaculture commodity value chain. To build a comprehensive and unbiased understanding of the sector's financing gaps, the workshop was delivered through a dynamic mix of expert presentations and four major breakout sessions. A key feature of the event's delivery was the continuous use of participatory interactions and engagements, which empowered participants to actively rank options, evaluate proposed financial solutions, and share direct feedback on their operational realities.
The dialogue was officially opened by Mr Ramadian Bahtiar, the Blue Planet Fund Regional Coordinator from the British Embassy in Jakarta, followed by a welcome address from Mr Wazir Naf’an of MMAF/DJPBD. Expert summaries were provided across the two days by Mr Boyun Handoyo of the Takalar Brackish Water Aquaculture Fisheries Centre and Mrs Anytha Umbas of MMAF/DJPBD.
The event presented and validated preliminary findings of the study on the small and medium-scale aquaculture financing landscape in Indonesia. The event also aimed to participatively formulate 2-3 prototype ideas that can be effectively implemented and scaled. For this specific purpose, the workshop utilised a dynamic, multi-stage approach combining plenary, group discussions, participatory co-design, and a validation and consolidation plenary session to ensure active engagement and participation from all the participants.
Based on the workshop, local cooperatives were identified as the key. By empowering them as financial intermediaries and combining forces with development funds, investment risks can be significantly lowered. A flexible collateral requirement tailored to small-scale SMEs and institutional support so that farmers can meet financial standards is among the proposed solutions. Lastly, multi-stakeholder partnerships and government infrastructure investment will also allow for de-risking the ecosystem.
Throughout the sessions, it was made clear that financial institutions often view the sector as "Gambling" due to high perceived risks, leaving many producers to rely on informal value-chain financing. Through the breakout discussions, participants emphasised the critical need to strengthen the underlying business environment and operational support systems – such as technical services and infrastructure – before simply expanding direct credit access.
Strategic Outcomes
The interactive delivery culminated in the evaluation of several prototype financing products. Based on stakeholder consensus and voting, the project team now have gained important and invaluable inputs to move into its next phase, transforming these discussions into practical financing solutions that can support sustainable, resilient, and inclusive aquaculture growth across Indonesia.
Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1flm3okVZDlA2yfhDrMVn-0Jc__VsiA7M/view?usp=share_link
Notes: The workshop is a central component of the COAST TA Project: Unlocking Financing for Small and Medium-Scale Aquaculture, delivered by Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd in association with Blue-Green Advisors Ltd and QED-Research Consulting.
