Body Imprisoned, Soul Remains Devoted
On 30 September 2026, in Miri, Sarawak, Prof. Rokhmin Dahuri received the Aquaculture Lifetime Achievement Award during the 13th International Conference on Fisheries and Aquaculture (ICFA) 2026. ICFA is regarded as the largest aquaculture and fisheries conference in Asia, and the award was presented in recognition of Rokhmin’s long-standing dedication spanning several decades.
For the world of aquaculture, this is a lifetime achievement. For me, his friend, it is a beautiful conclusion to a journey that once passed through the darkest corridors. Rokhmin was born in the fishing village of Gebang Ilir, Cirebon. His mother was a fish trader in the market, and from a young age, he helped his parents catch, salt, and sell fish to Cirebon, Kuningan, Bandung, and Bogor. To him, the sea was not merely a classroom theory, but his homeland.
He pursued his education at IPB University and earned a doctorate from Dalhousie University, Canada, in 1991. He subsequently founded the Study Programme for Coastal and Marine Resource Management at the IPB Postgraduate School. In professional organisations, he has served as the Chairman of the Expert Council of the Nusantara Fisheries Society (MPN) and has been active in the Indonesian Fisheries Scholars Association (ISPIK_KANI) and the Indonesian Oceanologists Association (ISOI). Since 2011, he has led the Indonesian Aquaculture Society (MAI). His message has remained unchanged: knowledge must not stop in academic halls; it must reach the docks, the ponds, and the fishing villages.
His career continued when he was entrusted as the Director General of Coastal and Small Islands from 1999 to 2001, before eventually being appointed Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. At that time, the Head of State gave a firm mandate: the maritime sector must become a leading pillar to prosper fishermen, aquaculture farmers, and all coastal communities.
The pinnacle of his ideas manifested in the National Movement for Maritime Development (Gerbang Mina Bahari). Launched directly by President Megawati Soekarnoputri on 23 July 2003 in Tomini Bay, this movement positioned the maritime economy as the driving engine of the national economy. His series of breakthrough programmes directly touched the livelihoods of the common people, ranging from providing fuel distribution points (SPBN) for fishermen, Coastal Community Economic Empowerment (PEMP), Joint Business Groups (KUB) Mina, Coastal Shops, and the integration of cold chain systems, to the construction of hygienic fish markets, the Fish Consumption Promotion Movement (Gemarikan), and the strengthening of COREMAP.
Rokhmin’s records show that national fisheries production surged to approximately 10 million tonnes in 2004, establishing Indonesia as the third-largest fisheries producer in the world. Despite driving production, his commitment to sustainability never wavered. He first advocated for the development of Indonesia’s marine conservation areas at an international conference in Mexico in 2003. For Rokhmin, true development must advance human welfare without ever depleting the ocean’s resources.
A storm arrived in 2007. The court found him guilty in a case involving non-budgetary funds within the ministry he once led, sentencing him to seven years in prison. The Supreme Court later granted a judicial review, reducing his sentence to four years and six months. I respect the legal process as an official state record. However, from the courtroom to his time in prison, my conscience continued to voice the same sentiment: my friend was a victim of politicisation and law enforcement fraught with questions. The case stemmed from policies continued from the eras of previous ministers, prompting a reasonable public question: why was only he targeted? This is my personal belief as a friend, a question that resonated widely throughout society at the time.
What left the deepest impression on me was not the legal case, but how he handled it. I visited him while he was detained at the National Police Detention Centre, and later when he was moved to Cipinang Prison. In a place designed to restrict movement, his spirit was never imprisoned. He embraced the inmates and remained faithful to receiving students and alumni seeking his guidance. During his trial and imprisonment, he continued to mentor master’s and doctoral students. Thesis and dissertation drafts were still reviewed, and his scientific insights were still shared, ensuring his students did not lose their academic direction. For him, a teacher does not stop teaching simply because the door is locked from the outside. His body may be confined, but his spirituality, soul, and intellect continue to sail, serving the fishermen, the aquaculture farmers, and the people of Indonesia who remain in his heart.
On 25 November 2009, he stepped out of Cipinang Prison. Dozens of supporters welcomed him warmly outside the gates: fishermen and fish farmers from various regions, particularly the northern coast (Pantura), as well as alumni and juniors from IPB and HMI Bogor. I stood there, witnessing that moment alongside friends. No position could they expect from him; they were there solely because of the knowledge, guidance, and his commitment to their cause, which had been deeply etched into their lives.
After his release, Rokhmin chose not to withdraw. He returned to serve through research, professional organisations, as an advisor to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and since 2024, he was elected as a representative and sits as a member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI). More than a decade later, the Asian aquaculture world has honoured him with a lifetime achievement award.
This story teaches three things. First, dignity does not depend on position. Second, the goodness planted before the storm will support us when the storm arrives. Third, a life’s calling is the anchor that keeps one working even when the world seems to collapse. For anyone currently facing a storm, remember the gateway.