Indonesia links fishing villages to wider fish distribution networks

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries aims to develop areas under the Red and White Fishing Villages (KNMP) program into key nodes in interregional fish distribution networks, helping fishers expand their markets.

Deputy Minister Didit Herdiawan Ashad said the ministry plans to upgrade 1,269 villages through the national priority program this year to increase the productivity and welfare of coastal communities, particularly those in relatively hard-to-reach areas.

Speaking at a forum on slum settlement management in Jakarta on Monday, he said KNMPs are being developed based on the potential of each area and the number of fishermen.

Villages with large numbers of fishermen will serve as hubs, while those with fewer human resources will function as supporting areas supplying their fishery products to the hubs, he explained.

The approach is intended to enable coastal communities to market their fishery products beyond their local areas, reach markets in other regions, and eventually access export opportunities, Ashad added.

He said the KNMP program includes providing fishing villages with infrastructure and facilities needed to improve productivity and welfare, including ice plants, warehouses, fuel stations for fishermen, boat moorings, repair facilities, and marketing centers.

These facilities are also expected to help KNMPs improve the quality and value of fishery products, he added.

Ashad said the ministry also seeks to link KNMPs with the Red and White Village Cooperatives program to help meet their need for human resources.

He added that the government has set a target of implementing the KNMP program in 1,269 fishing villages nationwide in 2026, with a broader goal of developing 5,000 fishing villages by the end of President Prabowo Subianto’s term in 2029.

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries recognizes the importance of tailoring program implementation to the conditions and potential of each region, Ashad said, noting that the initiative goes beyond physical development.

In that regard, he emphasized that successful implementation requires sound management, efforts to secure market access, qualified human resources, and coordination among the central government, local administrations, and the wider public.

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Translator: F. Ashari, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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