Fish farming has become a part of daily life for Putra Zaman, a resident of Tanjung Agung Village, Muara Enim. With his 10 fellow villagers, Putra runs a fish cultivation business that raises various species, including catfish, gourami, tilapia, and snakehead fish.Before turning to fish farming, Putra and his friends worked in illegal mining (PETI). However, they chose to change direction and seek safer, more sustainable livelihoods after recognizing the risks of working in PETI.
“We were all former PETI workers. Illegal mining is against the law, lacks proper safety standards, and causes environmental damage. That’s why we wanted to find new jobs,” said Putra.
Support soon arrived from PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), which runs programs aimed at creating alternative, sustainable sources of income for communities living around former illegal mining (PETI) areas.
PTBA provided freshwater fish farming training to Putra and other young people of Tanjung Agung Village. Various assistance is provided by PTBA to encourage village transformation, including the construction of fish ponds, provision of fish seeds, broodstock, feed, and others.
“About two years ago, Bukit Asam introduced a program to explore the potential for fish farming in our village. At first, we didn’t know anything about it, so they provided training, built facilities like ponds, taught us how to make feed, and supplied fish seeds and broodstock. That’s when we started trying fish farming,” he said.
Putra hopes the fish farming business will continue to grow and create more employment opportunities to improve the welfare of the local community. “We hope that in the future we can employ more people and contribute to the prosperity of our village,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dedy Saptaria Rosa, VP of Sustainability at PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), explained that the fish farming program is part of the company’s broader effort to create sustainable job alternatives for vulnerable groups living around the company’s operational areas. The program also supports the government’s Food Security and Stunting Reduction initiatives, that aligns with the government’s Asta Cita vision—particularly Point 3, which focuses on increasing quality employment, and Point 2, which is related to achieving food self-sufficiency.
“The fish farming program is expected to have a positive impact on the people of Tanjung Agung Village, both economically and environmentally. Through Sustainable Energy, Bukit Asam is committed to driving village transformation with innovative and sustainable initiatives,” he concluded.
