Just when we thought we had adjusted to the ongoing uncertainties of the global market, the world was hit with yet another surprise. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced a sweeping wave of reciprocal tariffs targeting key trading partners. In a move that stunned many, the new tariffs were aimed not only at global rivals like China, but also at neighbors and allies such as Canada and Mexico. While the announcement was bold and sudden, Trump also offered a short extension to allow for negotiations— sending a clear signal that the U.S. intends to aggressively push its agenda in the coming term.
This dramatic policy shift has already begun to shake the global trade balance, triggering anxiety across numerous sectors. And once again, Indonesia’s seafood industry—particularly shrimp—finds itself in the crosshairs. With over 80% of Indonesia’s shrimp exports going to the U.S., the ripple effects of these tariff threats are being felt deeply. In a time when our farmers are already grappling with weak prices, high costs, and biological challenges, the looming specter of trade restrictions only adds more weight to their burden.
While negotiations continue and the final outcomes remain unclear, this is a moment that demands strategic thinking and collective action from all stakeholders in the shrimp value chain.
Moving on to some happy news, next month we will have the opportunity to gather and address these very challenges in person. On May 21–22, 2025, the Shrimp Aquaculture Conference (SAC2025) will take place in Bali, bringing together producers, industry leaders, researchers, and poli-
THE CRUST - RIZKY
CHIEF EDITOR OVERVIEW
cy experts from around the world. This year’s SAC will focus heavily on navigating today’s shifting market dynamics, trade disruptions, disease management, and strengthening the blue economy.
We invite all of you to join us at SAC2025 and be part of the conversation that will shape the future of our industry. Now, more than ever, we need to learn from one another, share experiences, and forge paths forward—together.
Rizky Darmawan Chief Editor
ADHP Part 2
The Central Design
Following last month’s discussion on improved slope design in the ADHP (Auto Drainage, High Productivity) system, we now turn to the second key innovation: the central drain plug. Though it may look like a simple accessory, this plug plays a major role in boosting waste removal efficiency and daily operational ease.
The central drain plug is designed to seal the main drain opening located at the pond’s lowest point. It can be made using several materials, with popular options including a metal ball filled
with concrete or an inverted cone structure crafted from durable plastic or fiberglass. The key objective is to form a snug seal over the circular drain opening so that organic sludge accumulates around it rather than flowing out constantly.
What makes this plug mechanism special is its dual function. First, by keeping the drain sealed, the system allows sludge—mostly composed of feces, uneaten feed, and biofloc residues— to settle neatly around the central point. Then, when the plug is lifted, the sudden re-
lease creates suction pressure strong enough to pull in the accumulated waste all at once. This rapid removal method is significantly more effective than the traditional open-drain system, where continuous outflow often fails to gather and discharge heavier debris.
The second function is convenience. The plug is attached to a rope or handle that extends to the edge of the pond. This design lets farmers operate it easily from outside the pond. With a simple tug of the rope, the plug can be lifted to flush the waste, and released again to reseal the drain. This simple-yet-smart setup allows for sludge removal to be performed quickly and frequently—some farmers even do it several times a day—without stepping into the pond or disrupting operations.
Crucially, the plug must
be well-engineered to meet three important criteria. It needs to be heavy enough to remain sealed securely, preventing water and waste from leaking out unintentionally. At the same time, it should be light enough so that a single farmer can lift it from the pond edge without using excessive force. Finally, it must be built with durable materials that can withstand the pressure, wear, and exposure over the course of multiple cycles and months of continuous operation.
As more farmers across Indonesia adopt the ADHP system, improvements like the central drain plug offer practical, low-tech, but high-impact solutions that not only make pond management easier, but also contribute to cleaner ponds, healthier shrimp, and ultimately, higher yields.
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not just on volume but on efficiency and quality, which can help mitigate risk and sustain long-term viability even in uncertain trade environments,” Edward adds.
Long-term Strategies
While the tariff issue has certainly impacted the industry, Edward observes a range of responses from different stakeholders. More professional or export-oriented farms are choosing to adapt—focusing on improving efficiency, using higher-quality inputs, and exploring alternative markets such as China, the European Union, and the Middle East.
In his view, the motivation within the industry hasn’t disappeared—it’s shifting. The real concern, he says, is that prolonged uncertainty without supportive policies could force smaller players out of the system or push them back to traditional, lower-yield methods.
“As suppliers, we’re trying to counter this with education, field support, and performance-backed solutions that give farmers a reason to stay invested. The key now is restoring visibility and confidence, because motivation follows clarity,” he explains.
This sentiment is echoed by Manoj, who prefers to seek opportunity in the face of challenges. With over 30 years of experience in the shrimp industry, Manoj remains optimistic. He believes that, no matter the challenges, the industry has a long track record of adapting, recovering, and finding its way forward.
Manoj notes that India’s export authority, MPEDA, along with the national government, is actively exploring markets beyond the U.S. and China. Europe is a key target, followed by Japan, Russia, the Middle East, and Canada. He also points out that with a population of 1.4 billion, India’s domestic market presents enormous untapped potential.
Recognizing this, Manoj has already taken meaningful steps to tap into the local market. Through his restaurant brand, Zhingalala, he promotes shrimp consumption using a “from our farm to your plate” concept. The initiative has gained strong traction and is proving scalable within India’s rapidly growing food service sector.
He explains that the goal is to offer farmers a sustainable alternative market. So far, the results have been promising, with around 400 tons of farm-fresh shrimp sold domestically. His expansion plans include launching restaurant chains, quick-service outlets, central kitchens, and venturing into the ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat product segments.
“I also aim to build a distribution network using a hub-and-spoke model for fresh and frozen shrimp sales, focusing within a 100–200 km radius. I believe that awareness, availability, affordability, and acceptability— the four A’s—will drive the success of the domestic market.” Manoj adds.
Collaborative Actions
In response to the current situation, Edward hopes that every stakeholder across the industry will do their best within their capacity. Farmers, for example, can improve productivity per hectare by applying stronger biosecurity measures and using feed additives, while maintaining responsible stocking densities. Feed and input suppliers, on their part, should focus on educating farmers about effective, solution-oriented products—giving them the confidence to invest in higher-value inputs.
At the same time, processors and exporters need to invest in traceability, certifications, and value-added products to access premium segments in those potential markets. Policy support also plays a crucial role: expedited approvals for new technologies, improved cold-chain infrastructure, and incentives for sustainable practices are urgently needed.
“This is the time for the value chain to collaborate more closely, not compete in silos. If we take a systems-level view and act cohesively, the Indian shrimp industry can turn this challenge into an opportunity to upgrade itself for the future,” Edward concludes.
Photo source
doc. Manoj Sharma, Edward G. J. George
THE CRUST - AB
RIDING THE TRADE WAVE:
Indonesian Shrimp and the U.S. Tariff Storm
Shrimp in the Crosshairs: A New Era of
U.S. Tariffs
On April 2, 2025, the U.S. introduced a major shift in trade policy: a 10% universal tariff on all imports, plus country-specific tariffs of 32% on Indonesian products, totaling 42% on Indonesian shrimp. While initially set for April 9, President Trump soon announced a 90-day pause on most tariffs, citing economic concerns. However, tariffs on Chinese goods escalated to 125%, deepening tensions.
What’s a Tariff Anyway? A Quick Dive into Trade Walls
Tariffs are taxes on imports, aimed at protecting domestic industries, correcting trade imbalances, and generating revenue. Typically, importers bear the cost, though tariffs can affect exporters indirectly through reduced demand. President Trump’s previous use of tariffs revived domestic manufacturing efforts, and in 2025, tariffs are once again a key tool, underpinned by protectionist aims.
Tariffs Calculation Explained (with Indonesia as an example)
As part of “America First,” tariffs aim to shrink trade deficits, create jobs, and raise revenue. Here is how tariffs are calculated.
Reciprocal Tariff Rate =
Rate for Indonesia =
Explanation:
· Trade Deficit: $16.99 billion
· Imports from Indonesia: $26.8 billion
· Ratio (Deficit ÷ Imports) = ~0.634 or 63%
· Divided by 2 to get final tariff rate ≈ 32%
The reciprocal system differentiates tariffs based on trade balances—higher for deficit countries and a baseline 10% for surplus ones.
The New U.S. Tariff Reality
Under the new tariff regime, the U.S. applies a baseline 10% universal tariff on all imported goods, with additional reciprocal tariffs for certain countries. For major shrimp-exporting countries, Indonesia faces an additional 32% tariff, China faces a 20% base tariff with further tariffs reaching up to 145%, Vietnam faces a 46% tariff, and India faces a 26% tariff
Indonesia’s Edge: No Countervailing Duties (CVDs)
Despite the 42% tariff, Indonesia benefits by avoiding U.S. CVDs on shrimp—a major advantage over India, Ecuador, and Vietnam. However, Indonesia still faces 3.9% Anti-Dumping Duties (ADDs) since early 2024. In contrast, India and Vietnam face 5.77% and 2.84% CVDs, respectively.
This historical exemption helps Indonesian shrimp remain price-competitive. But with the full 42% tariff potentially kicking in after the 90-day pause, this edge is at risk.
Cracks in the Shell: Indonesian Shrimp’s Competitive Standing
Without the 32% surcharge, Indonesia holds strong competitiveness in the U.S. shrimp market, with relatively lower processing costs and no CVD burden. Ecuador remains a rival with efficient farming and growing volume, but Indonesia’s consistent quality and established supply chains keep it viable. Even in a 10% tariff world, exporters must innovate and optimize operations to stay afloat.
What’s
Really Behind the Tariffs?
While aimed at protecting domestic shrimp industries and reducing trade deficits, broader political motives also drive the tariffs. They act as negotiation leverage or political signals. Reactions have been swift—China retaliated, Vietnam opened to talks, and Indonesia proposed trade concessions to ease tensions.
Looking Forward: Strategy, Adaptation, and Resilience
Indonesia is pivoting to diversification. Exports are now targeting East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea) and Australia. Innovation in value-added products—like marinated shrimp, ready-to-cook meals, and sustainable packaging—is emphasized. Investments in hatchery-to-harvest efficiencies, automation, and sustainability are rising.
Diplomatically, Indonesia is strengthening bilateral and multilateral ties to advocate for tariff relief and fairer trade treatment.
Conclusion: Navigating Rough Waters
The U.S. tariff regime threatens Indonesia’s shrimp exports, as even a 10% baseline tariff exposes the market to inflation, supply chain strain, and buyer uncertainty. While Indonesia’s no-CVD status offers some protection, prolonged demand dips could trigger factory closures, order cancellations, and economic distress in shrimp-farming regions. Without trade relief, this challenge risks escalating from market access issues to a broader threat to livelihoods.
Preventing EHP Through Early Detection and Adequate Preparation
One of the most pressing challenges in vannamei shrimp farming today is a disease known as EHP (Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei). As the name suggests, this parasite attacks the shrimp’s hepatopancreas—an essential organ for digestion and nutrient absorption—causing problems like stunted growth. In Indonesia, EHP continues to be a persistent threat, disrupting production cycles across the country.
Reynard Suharja, a shrimp farmer who operates farms in West Java and Lombok, tells The Crust that EHP is spreading widely across various regions in Indonesia, with different levels of severity. However, in recent times, the disease has hit shrimp farms in eastern Indonesia particularly hard.
Reynard says EHP is particularly tricky to detect because it doesn’t always affect feeding behavior right away. “Since EHP targets the hepatopancreas, the shrimp often continue eating normally at first,” he says. “You might see good average daily growth (ADG) for a while, and then it just stops. It’s hard to catch unless you’re monitoring closely.” He adds that EHP can also trigger secondary infections such as WFD (White Feces Disease), especially when ponds accumulate excess organic matter.
Kit Young, CEO and founder of Singapore-based Forte Biotech, says that many shrimp ponds in Indonesia often face challenges with poor water quality—an issue made worse by inade-
Reynard Suharja
quate waste management and a lack of proper pond hygiene. These conditions can trigger not only the emergence of EHP but also other diseases like WFD.
“The buildup of organic matter, such as uneaten feed and shrimp waste, further deteriorates water quality and creates ideal conditions for EHP to thrive,” says Kit.
Regional Cases
EHP is not only a concern in Indonesia—it has also been reported in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Kit notes that EHP tends to emerge in intensive outdoor shrimp farms across Southeast Asia. The common signs include slow shrimp growth, wide size variation among shrimp, and a negative impact on feed conversion ratio (FCR).
Several factors contribute to the spread of EHP in these regions, including high stocking density, poor water quality and biosecurity, limited access to early detection tools, a high organic load (mostly from uneaten feed and sludge), high salinity, and inconsistent water management.
According to Kit, the persistence of EHP across Southeast Asia highlights the urgent need for stronger disease surveillance and control strategies. These strategies should include the use of molecular diagnostics, improved waste management, and better farming practices.
While EHP cases in Indonesia and neighboring countries share similar causes and symptoms, the treatment methods can vary. In Indonesia, farmers typically reduce stocking densities, apply probiotics more frequently, remove sludge from the pond bottom, and use
functional feeds. In Thailand, many farmers adopt biofloc systems, use probiotics, treat water with UVC sterilization, and also rely on functional feeds.
Similarly, Vietnam relies on functional feeds, water disinfection, probiotics, and in some cases, still uses antibiotics. Meanwhile, shrimp farmers in the Philippines often opt for early harvest, apply medications to affected shrimp, and closely monitor FCR as part of their response strategy.
Why Early Detection Matters
Kit highlights that one of the biggest challenges with EHP is that infections are subclinical in the early stages. Infected shrimp often show no visible symptoms, meaning the disease can silently spread across a pond before farmers even realize the problem. Unlike bacterial infections or viral outbreaks like WSSV (White Spot Syndrome Virus), which cause sudden mortality, EHP is a microsporidian parasite that targets the shrimp’s hepatopancreas. It impacts growth performance rather than causing immediate death.
Since EHP doesn’t show visible symptoms except for stunted growth, Kit believes it can’t be detected through simple visual inspections or basic bacterial tests. “The greatest challenge with EHP detection isn’t just identifying the disease; it’s catching it early enough to take corrective action,” he explains.
To help shrimp farmers take preventive measures against EHP, Kit recommends using some of the toolkits available on the market. Forte Biotech, for instance, has also developed test kits which claimed to be easy to
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use, reliable in both speed and accuracy, and affordable.
“Farmers now have a variety of products to choose from to detect EHP, depending on their specific needs,” he adds.
Although familiar with some of these toolkits for early-stage EHP detection, Reynard isn’t currently using any of them on his farms. While he acknowledges that these kits are effective, particularly for early detection, he pointed out that not all farms consistently use them in practice.
How to Respond
Despite the challenges posed by EHP, Reynard believes that infected shrimp can still perform well under the right conditions. However, the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) may increase to 1.6–1.8, depending on the situation. Around 70–80% of infected ponds can still be harvested and yield a profit, though the margins will be lower. “It’s risky, but we’re shrimp farmers—risk is part of the job,” he says.
To combat EHP, Reynard applies up to 500 ppm of quicklime during pond preparation to destroy spores. He also uses fermented feed to improve shrimp gut health. While he acknowledges that no single solution fully eradicates EHP, he recommends shrimp farmers focus on proper liming, reducing stress, avoiding overfeeding, and maintaining a balanced pond ecosystem. Solid pond preparation is essential, especially if the pond has previously been affected by EHP. He advises using more quicklime and selecting strong post-larvae (PL).
In addition, Kit suggests that shrimp farmers implement strong biosecurity to reduce the risk of EHP transmission. This includes
pretreating water sources, managing water quality, installing fencing around cultivation areas, using layered filters, and providing handwashing, food-washing, and wheel-washing facilities. Using PL that have been tested and certified free of diseases or pathogens—such as those with a Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) certificate—can also help minimize the risk of vertical EHP transmission.
“Until now, there is no effective method to fully elimi-
nate EHP spores in ponds, as they can survive for a long time in both water and soil. However, we can prevent the spread of EHP by increasing the abundance of microbiota in the shrimp’s digestive tract through the use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and biofloc,” he explains.
Photo source
doc. Reynard Suharja, Kit Young, The CRUST
AB
THE CRUST - RZ, AB
The Ultimate Long Trip Checklist
For Road Trips, Holidays, and Work Travel
Planning a long journey? Whether it’s across countries or just across the island, use this checklist to make sure your trip is smooth, fulfilling, and stress-free.
DOCUMENTS
☐ Passport / ID
☐ Boarding passes / tickets
☐ Hotel & activity confirmations
☐ Travel insurance details
☐ Copies of all important documents
☐ Emergency contact list
HEALTH & HYGIENE
☐ Prescription medications
☐ First-aids
☐ Vitamins / Supplements
☐ Sunscreen
TECH GEAR
☐ Phone + charger
☐ Power bank
☐ Universal adapter (international travel)
☐ Headphones / earbuds
☐ Downloaded maps, music, or books
☐ Offline translation or travel apps
COMFORT ITEMS
☐ Travel pillow, eye mask, earplugs
☐ Reusable water bottle
☐ Lightweight blanket or scarf
☐ Sunglasses
CLOTHING (PACK SMART)
☐ Versatile outfits
☐ Layers for cold weather
☐ Comfortable shoes
☐ Sandals / slippers
☐ Undergarments, socks, sleepwear
☐ Swimwear / workout gear (if needed)
☐ 1 outfit for a nice dinner or meeting
TOILETRIES (BASIC KIT)
☐ Toothbrush & toothpaste
☐ Deodorant, comb/brush
☐ Travel-size shampoo / soap
☐ Laundry bag
EASY TO GET ON THE TRIP
SIM card or local Wi-Fi rental
Snacks, bottled drinks
Toiletries (if running low)
BEFORE YOU LEAVE
☐ Unplug electronics
☐ Empty trash / fridge
☐ Secure home (doors, windows, lights)
☐ Set out-of-office message
☐ Double-check all bookings
Travel smart. Travel light. Travel safe. Do you have anything else that we might have missed?
