The Butamira System (Household Scale Mini Pond Shrimp Farming) is an innovation in vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) culture technology that was developed to answer the challenges of small farmers. “We created Butamira because we saw so many small farmers failing due to damaged soil and polluted water. We designed this technology so that it can be used by anyone, even in their yard. It must be cheap, easy to assemble, and environmentally friendly,” explained Arie Kiswanto, Lecturer at the Jembrana-Bali Marine and Fisheries Polytechnic regarding this innovation to TROBOS Aqua.
According to Arie, the Butamira pond is designed with economic and practical principles. This technology is designed to be easily applied in narrow areas (less than 500 m²), and in accordance with the principles of Good Fish Farming Practices (CBIB).
Farmers can choose a rectangular or round shape according to their needs. Each shape uses an iron frame (hollow or werimesh) and is coated with HDPE plastic to make it waterproof. “We use HDPE plastic because it is durable and easier to obtain,” said Arie, who has applied this technology to shrimp ponds around Bali.
The pond design is equipped with a central drain system in the middle of the pond to efficiently remove mud and water with a bottom slope of 5-10%. Flexible drain pipes (shaking pipes) allow water to be removed from the surface and bottom of the pond.
“It is important for us that the pond is easy to clean, therefore the drainage system must be truly efficient,” added Arie in a convincing tone. This system has been adopted by communities in Jembrana, Lampung, and Parigi Moutong-Central Sulawesi.
