Cilacap PPS: Fishermen Enter Harvest Season
Cilacap (ANTARA) - The Head of the Cilacap Oceanic Fishing Port (PPS), Mahrus, stated that fishermen in Cilacap Regency are beginning to enter the fish harvest season, indicated by an increase in catch landings since mid-June, although weather conditions remain a challenge for fishing activities.
“Since mid-June, landings have started to rise. Handline vessels dominate the landings at PPS Cilacap, with catches dominated by tuna and skipjack,” he said after the opening of the 2026 Fishermen’s Weather Field School (SLCN) in Cilacap, Central Java, on Wednesday.
He noted that the vessels landing their catch are generally over 5 gross tonnes (GT). Based on PPS Cilacap data, total fish production landed from January to June 2026 reached approximately 17,000 tonnes for all fish types. He estimates the upward production trend will continue until October-November, following the seasonal patterns of previous years.
According to him, fishing activities in the southern waters of Java are heavily influenced by the easterly monsoon winds, which often trigger high waves, thus affecting the intensity of fishermen going to sea. Therefore, PPS Cilacap, together with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and related agencies, continues to convey weather information to fishermen as a basis for determining safe sailing times.
“Fishermen here are already savvy due to massive socialisation. They know when to sail and when specific fish seasons occur. We just need to reinforce the information they receive,” he said.
In addition to providing harbourmaster services for berthed and anchored vessels, Mahrus said PPS Cilacap also services fish landings and records all catches as a basis for compiling fishery production statistics.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Cilacap Regency Fisheries Office, Indarto, said the fishing season in the southern waters of Java is only just starting to increase and is expected to peak towards the end of the year. “The fish season is just beginning to pick up. The increase is expected to occur from August to September and peak towards the end of the year,” he affirmed.
He stated that this condition aligns with the production trend at PPS Cilacap. However, unfavourable weather remains a concern, and fishermen are urged to increase vigilance when at sea. According to Indarto, vessels over 5 GT currently dominate landings of large pelagic fish such as tuna and skipjack, while catches of smaller fish remain limited due to wind effects. Meanwhile, rebon shrimp catches have begun to reappear, although volumes are not yet as high as some time ago.
One fisherman participating in the 2026 SLCN, Miswanto (42), admitted the training organised by BMKG broadened his insight into the importance of utilising weather information before going to sea. “Alhamdulillah, I now know more about information from BMKG. We were taught to view weather forecasts via mobile phone applications and reminded to always wear life jackets when at sea,” he said.
The fisherman from Sidakaya Village, Cilacap Regency, admitted he routinely monitors weather forecasts before setting sail. According to him, this habit is important because extreme weather still frequently occurs in the southern waters of Java. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that catches are not yet optimal because strong winds and high waves cause many fishermen to choose not to go to sea. “In fact, August is usually the start of the season with more abundant catches,” he said. Due to bad weather, some fishermen choose to postpone departure because the catch may not cover operational costs. Miswanto hopes weather conditions will improve soon so that fishing activities can return to normal and catches increase as the fish harvest season arrives.