Budi Utomo, Sumarmi, Sugeng Utaya, Syamsul Bachri
The Ogan Komering Ilir Protected Forest (OKIPF) in South Sumatra, Indonesia, has undergone significant forest degradation due to widespread land conversion into aquaculture ponds. This degradation has had a profoundly adverse impact on the mangrove ecosystem and the socioeconomic well-being of local communities. To address this, a silvofishery system has been implemented as a strategy to reduce illegal land conversion while enhancing community welfare. This study aims to evaluate the impact of silvofishery on both economic sustainability and mangrove forest conservation. Employing a quantitative descriptive approach through surveys, the study engaged 65 participants through purposive sampling, including pond farmers, farmer group leaders, forestry officials, and social forestry facilitators. Ecological data were collected using transects (100–200 m perpendicular to the coastline) to analyze mangrove vegetation and species of high economic value. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to assess ecological conditions. Economic sustainability was evaluated through income analysis, revenue-cost ratio, break-even point, net present value, net benefit–cost ratio, and internal rate of return. Welfare levels were assessed using percentage analysis and poverty thresholds. Results demonstrate that the silvofishery system contributes to restoring mangrove biodiversity and ecological functions while improving the economic conditions of pond farmers. ANOVA analysis further supports significant differences between silvofishery and non-silvofishery ponds. The study concludes that silvofishery offers a viable model for balancing short-term economic needs with long-term ecological goals. It introduces an approach to addressing forest degradation and advocates for strong stakeholder collaboration to introduce silvofishery as a sustainable forest management approach. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025.
Department of Geography Education, State University of Malang, Malang City, Indonesia; Department of Geography Education Faculty of Social Sciences State, University of Malang, Malang City, Indonesia; Geography Education, PGRI University Palembang, Palembang, Indonesia
