My name is Budi. I am a catfish. The species most favored by humans. Not only are we easy to obtain and cultivate, but we are also a delicious food available at street stalls and restaurants in large malls.
I know humans rarely want to hear a fish’s story. Besides the language barrier and the constant “Blub..Blub..” in their ears, humans are more concerned with concerts, skincare promotions, and celebrity gossip accounts. What happens at the bottom of the pond is the last thing on their minds. Yet, where I live, the mud is sometimes hotter than the comments section online.
However, this time I want to speak up. About how my family and I can finally breathe easy. And no, this is not a metaphor. It is literally about breathing. Because after years of living in a pond that was as broken as a heart left behind when love is lost (yes, we fish can also “feel”). Don’t believe me? Just ask Grandpa Google), finally—good news came from the mainland: the Revitalization of the Pantura Pond.
Alright. Ready? Let’s begin.
Funding That ‘Didn’t Come To Play But To Slay’
The government, or more precisely Danantara, officially injected Rp26 trillion to repair around 20,000 hectares of fish ponds in the Pantura region. I heard this news from a small radio installed by the fish pond guard. (Yes, I was eavesdropping. That’s the only activity I can do besides swimming in my cramped living quarters).
From a human perspective, this may be about the economy. About national food production, the resilience of the fisheries sector, or government programs to increase fishermen’s incomes. But from the perspective of a catfish like me?
This is like a ticket out of a toxic environment. (I’m sure we often see eye to eye on this).
Ponds = Our Home (Even Though They Always Leak and Are Full of Drama)
All this time, my home has been old ponds like cheap rented rooms. The water leaks, the mud is hot, the walls leak, and sometimes during the dry season, we can’t breathe. It’s like you live in a leaky boarding house with an outdoor bathroom and no Wi-Fi.
The pond water, which should protect us, often seeps slowly into the ground. Without proper protective layers, water quality deteriorates. Temperatures become unstable, oxygen levels decrease, and yes, our stress levels as fish increase dramatically.
If I had a phone and could install a mental health app, I might have subscribed to Headspace since 2018.
Enter: Urban Plastic and Geomembrane the Saviors (like Oscar in the movie Shark Tale, Our Hero)
Now, there is one name that I often hear mentioned by pond technicians and consultants: Urban Plastic. This local company does not just sell random plastic, but also provides geomembranes—advanced protective layers that are installed at the bottom of ponds.
To make it easier, I will translate it using baby talk: Geomembrane is a leak-proof carpet that makes our home (the pond) sterile, stable, and comfortable to live in.
Why Does Geomembrane Have the Same Degree as Skincare?
I claim this because its function is like a moisturizer that humans use to keep their skin balanced. Now, for Urban Plastic’s geomembrane, (I also heard) that their product:
Is leak-proof, preventing pond water from seeping into the ground.
Stabilizes temperature so we don’t end up like chickens (my friends on land) who accept their fate of being boiled alive.
Resists contamination, as there are sometimes waste or wild microbes that sneak in, like when someone managed to sneak into seat 11 million without paying for the Coldplay concert that was held in the capital at the time (yes, this is from eavesdropping again).
Can be ordered according to thickness—my house, the pond, usually uses 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Enough to make our floor drama-free.
For human readers who still like us, please remember that healthier ponds = healthier fish = better harvests. Better harvests = prices don’t skyrocket brutally during Eid.
So, you can understand that this benefits both you and us fish.
Healing Isn’t Just for Humans
I often hear from the pond keeper about Instagram captions like “healing time.” But did you know that we also need healing time?
We are living beings too. We experience stress, have needs, and want to live in a decent environment. A pond isn’t just a pool for livestock; it’s a home for thousands of small creatures that also play a role in the human food chain.
And do you know who helps our ponds heal? Not beauty influencers, but the durable, UV-resistant black plastic sheets made by Urban Plastic.
Sometimes, in a life filled with drama, all we need is a layer that protects us quietly.
When Infrastructure Meets Empathy
The Revitalization of the Pantura Ponds is not just about numbers and projects. It’s about lives—and the future. Not just for us who live in the mud, but also for coastal communities, fishpond farmers, and their children who want to go to school with the proceeds from their catfish or milkfish harvests.
I don’t understand the concept of the state budget, but I understand what it’s like to live in a fishpond that finally doesn’t leak.
I don’t understand contractors, but I understand the difference between calm water and water that makes me dizzy.
And if people ask what brought about this major change? The answer is the geomembrane from Urban Plastic.
What we once thought was just ordinary plastic turned out to be the protection we’ve needed all along.
Final Words From a Catfish…
My name is Budi. And that is what I have been keeping to myself all this time. I am a catfish who has spent my time in a pond that made it difficult to sleep, until finally I will get a new bed made of geomembrane.
If you think plastic is always bad, maybe you haven’t seen how plastic can help ponds breathe, and how small fish like me can have a future (on your plates).
For more information about Geomembrane please contact: Whatsapp/Mobile Phone: +62 811 1721 338 (Ms. Ais) or Email : info@baligeotex.com