Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan called for strengthening fishers' economic capacity as key to maximizing Indonesia's vast marine potential and ensuring the nation's fishery resources benefit local fishers rather than foreign fleets.
"Support for fishers must be strengthened, so they can improve their welfare and tap into Indonesia's marine potential," Hasan said during the 42nd National Congress of the Syarikat Islam Arbitration Council in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday (Oct 18).
He noted Indonesia's fishers' terms of trade, which currently stands at 103, indicates that many remain economically vulnerable, with some falling into the lowest income decile.
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As a result, fishers still require government assistance, ranging from rice to cash aid, to feed their families and send their children to school.
According to Hasan, weak economic conditions among fishers also weaken their bargaining power when selling their catch, often forcing them to sell at low prices due to a lack of proper cold storage facilities.
"Indonesian fishers work hard to bring in a catch, but when prices are low, they have no choice but to sell because otherwise, the fish will spoil," he explained.
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He also emphasized the issue must be addressed, so that Indonesia’s vast fisheries potential provides greater economic benefits for local fishers, rather than just producing large catches without boosting their income.
Hasan added the minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries once estimated losses from illegal fishing at Rp250 trillion (around US$13.8 billion) per year.
To boost fishers' welfare, the Indonesian government is pushing to provide business support facilities, including fish auction sites, ice plants, cold storage, fueling stations for fishers, and access to financing through a microcredit program with an eight percent interest rate.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has also set a target to raise the fishers' terms of trade from 103 to 120 by 2027, expecting fishers' incomes to support their families and business expansion better.
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Translator: Astrid Faidlatul, Raka Adji
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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