PT SYB Hands Over Tilapia Hatchery Facility to Kelekat Village

Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, May 22, 2026 - PT Sasana Yudha Bhakti (SYB) officially handed over a tilapia hatchery facility to Kelekat Village as part of its implementation of the Remediation and Compensation Procedure (RaCP). The handover was followed by a Focus Group Discussion with the local community to discuss the programme’s implementation, management and future development.

The facility supports freshwater fish seed production in Kelekat Village, with a production capacity of approximately 50,000 tilapia fry per month. The hatchery will produce tilapia fry ranging from 1 cm to 12 cm, which can be supplied to fish grow-out businesses in and around the village.

The business model focuses on freshwater fish seed production, particularly tilapia, which is considered more adaptive, efficient and economically. Tilapia also has lower maintenance requirements and a faster production cycle, making it suitable for community-based enterprise development. 

The program was initially designed as a floating fish cage cultivation initiative within PT SYB’s compensation area, located in the floodplain wetlands of the Belayan River. To assess the feasibility of the site, PT SYB worked with academics from the faculty of Fisheries, Mulawarman University and professionals from CV. Terraplan Engineering, to conduct a site suitability study.

The assessment found that water conditions in the compensation area were not suitable for aquaculture at site scale. The area had high acidity, corrosive water characteristics and low oxygen levels. It was also vulnerable to flooding when the Belayan River water level rises.

Based on these findings, the programme was adjusted. Instead of continuing with an unsuitable model, PT SYB and the community shifted the focus towards building fish seed production infrastructure within Kelekat Village. This allowed the programme to respond to actual field conditions while still supporting the intended community livelihood outcome.

Capacity building has become an important part of this journey. Two village technical staff members received intensive training and mentoring from the Faculty of Fisheries, Mulawarman University and fisheries professionals. Following the training, the team conducted three weeks of independent trial operations without direct assistance, and successfully produced 5,000 tilapia fry. 

This early result is an important milestone for Kelekat Village and provides a practical foundation for continued learning, production and future expansion.

This programme is expected to support additional income opportunities for the village, encourage the growth of a wider tilapia farming network around Kelekat, and strengthen local food security through a more reliable freshwater fish seed supply.

The initiative also supports PT REA KALTIM PLANTATIONS and the Group’s Empowering Livelihoods pillar by building local skills, strengthening community-based enterprise and supporting long-term village resilience. In Kelekat Village, the programme goes beyond the handover of infrastructure by supporting the technical capacity, operating systems and community ownership needed for the hatchery to continue independently.

Through this RaCP programme, PT SYB and the Kelekat Village community have turned a technical challenge into a practical livelihood opportunity, connecting restoration efforts with local economic development.