Title : Using water quality data to address perceived shrimp farming risks in Banyuwangi
Abstract:
Perceived environmental risks often frame intensive shrimp farming as the primary driver of coastal water pollution and marine ecosystem degradation. This study evaluated the water quality status, disease distribution, and pollutant dynamics across seven riverine (upstream) and coastal (downstream) sites adjacent to Litopenaeus vannamei farms in Banyuwangi Regency from August 2025 to July 2026. The results challenge the assumption that shrimp farming is the sole source of local water degradation. While coastal waters showed higher levels of solids, organic matter, and bacteria due to local discharge and tidal currents, the main drivers of chemical pollution originated further inland. Key pollutants—including ammonia, phosphate, and nitrites—were significantly higher in upstream rivers, directly tracing back to agricultural runoff, domestic sewage, and inland waste rather than coastal ponds. Coastal pH and oxygen levels remained consistently healthy for marine life. PCR testing detected low levels of Infectious Myonecrosis Virus (IMNV), while major pathogens like WSSV, AHPND, and EHP were completely absent, showing that water quality shifts act as stress triggers rather than direct farm pollution. These findings prove that coastal health depends on the entire river system, not just aquaculture. Instead of burdening shrimp farmers with restrictive penalties, government policy should focus on overall river basin management, controlling upstream waste, and building communal wastewater treatment systems (IPAL) to protect both the environment and the local economy.
Keywords: Shrimp Farming, Coastal Pollution, River Runoff, Water Quality, IMNV, Banyuwangi.
