200,000 Aceh Fishermen Take Day Off for 81st Independence Day

Around 200,000 fishermen in Aceh Province took a day off from fishing on Monday (17/8) to mark the 81st anniversary of Indonesian independence.

The pause in sailing on Independence Day is a rule of customary maritime law. All traditional fishermen and motorboat crews comply by not fishing in Indonesia’s westernmost province.

“Anyone who violates the rule will certainly be subject to sanctions according to local customary maritime law. For example, the entire catch is confiscated by the local Panglima Laot Lhok (territorial sea commander),” said M Adli Abdullah, an Acehnese fisherman leader and cultural scholar from Syiah Kuala University (USK) in Banda Aceh.

Adli Abdullah said the fishing ban has been a tradition passed down through generations since the early days of Indonesian independence. It is a form of gratitude for the blessings of independence.

In addition, the tradition is carried out to honour the services of heroes and independence fighters. Aceh’s fishermen will return to sea a day after the independence celebration, on 18 August 2026.

To fill the national holiday, fishermen take the opportunity to repair fishing gear and other seafaring equipment. They also use the time to be with their families and to socialise with one another.

“There are four moments when Aceh fishermen take a break from fishing: Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the independence anniversary, and the day commemorating the Aceh tsunami every 26 December. These are days to remember Allah’s greatness, to give thanks for the blessings of independence, and to have leisure time to relax with family and children,” said M Adli Abdullah, who is also a senior lecturer at USK.