The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has identified around 30,000 hectares of aquaculture ponds damaged by floods that hit several regions in Aceh.

Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said the damaged ponds are spread across 16 districts and cities in the province. He made the statement after inspecting flood-affected ponds in Bireuen District and North Aceh District on Friday.

North Aceh District was the hardest hit, with more than 10,000 hectares of ponds affected. It was followed by Bireuen District, with about 4,900 hectares, and Aceh Tamiang District, with around 3,400 hectares of damaged ponds.

Trenggono said the level of damage ranges from light to severe, resulting in losses for more than 30,000 aquaculture farmers.

“We have carried out an identification process. About 300 hectares of the affected ponds are classified as severely damaged, while the rest range from light to heavy damage,” he said in a press release issued by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

He added that the damaged ponds are located in both inland and coastal areas. Cultivated commodities include shrimp, milkfish, snapper, grouper, catfish, tilapia, carp, and pangasius.

Aceh is among three provinces in Sumatra, along with North Sumatra and West Sumatra, that were hit by floods and landslides in late November 2025.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, as of January 9 the disasters had claimed 1,180 lives, including 544 fatalities in Aceh.

The disasters displaced around 238,000 people across the three provinces, with the majority, about 214,100 residents, coming from Aceh.

The Aceh Provincial Government has begun drafting the Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan, with a target to complete the document by January 2026.

Source - https://en.antaranews.com