The activity, held on Monday–Tuesday (October 27–28, 2025) and Thursday (October 30, 2025), was fully supported by the Ngada Regency Government and the Ngada Fisheries Office. Around 60 participants took part in the event, including fish farmers, members of the Family Welfare Empowerment Team (PKK), representatives from the Fisheries Office, as well as teachers and students from the Fisheries Department of SMKN Riung.

This collaboration involved faculty members from several universities, including Esa Fajar Hidayat, S.Kel., M.Si. from Universitas Brawijaya, and Mega Yuniartik, M.P. from Untag Banyuwangi, under the leadership of Saat Mubarrok, Ph.D., from the Oceanography Study Program at ITB. From ITB, the activity was also participated in by students Dieva Riswanda Putra (Oceanography ’23) and Larisa Wulan Olivia (Geodetic Engineering ’23).

Training on SNI-Standard Milkfish Breeding and Cultivation

The main focus of the activity was on milkfish breeding and cult ivation. Until now, the community of Lengkosambi Timur Village has largely relied on wild-caught milkfish, resulting in limited availability of broodstock for aquaculture seed production.To address this challenge, the community service team provided technical training on selecting high-quality broodstock, enabling the community to produce milkfish fry independently. The training began with a socialization session on SNI-standard breeding practices, covering two main topics:

1. Selection of broodstock, breeding, and cultivation of milkfish;
2. Water quality management throughout the aquaculture process.

After the lecture sessions, participants took part in field practice activities, which included the first milkfish harvest in Lengkosambi Timur Village, inspection of pond conditions, and observation of water quality parameters (temperature, pH, and salinity). Participants also received training on the installation of circular ponds for the nursery stage.

Technology Handover and Collaboration Initiation

As part of the program, a handover ceremony for milkfish breeding technology was conducted from the Directorate of Community Service and Expertise (DPMK) of ITB to the Regent of Ngada at the official residence of the Ngada Regent, East Nusa Tenggara. In addition, ITB and the Ngada Regency Government agreed to initiate a collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Through this collaboration, it is hoped that the existing potentials in Ngada Regency can be sustainably optimized. The Desanesha Bottom-up III program serves as a tangible manifestation of ITB’s and its partner universities’ commitment to empowering coastal communities through a collaborative and science-based approach.

Reporter: Sri Wulandari (Oceanography, 2022)