Fakfak Fishers Develop Processed Seafood to Support Prabowo’s Food Self-Sufficiency Drive
Dozens of fishing households in Saharey village, Fakfak regency, West Papua, have increased their incomes by processing their catch into a range of food products. With support from Hasanuddin University’s Patriot Expedition Team (TEP), fish that was previously sold fresh is now made into fish balls, nuggets, shredded fish and crackers, generating reported daily earnings of Rp400,000–Rp800,000.
“Alongside the opportunities, we have identified several challenges, including a lack of post-harvest processing skills, limited appropriate technology and restricted access to markets. As a result, fishers are reluctant to catch large quantities because they fear the fish will spoil, and their incomes are uncertain,” TEP Hasanuddin University member Adnan said in a statement on Friday (30 October 2026).
The assistance followed field findings that the Weri-Saharey district has considerable fisheries potential, particularly in small pelagic and demersal fish. This potential is considered capable of strengthening food security while improving the local economy.
The training was attended by 20 fishing households from the Seir Saharey group. It covered fish processing techniques, product packaging and labelling, sanitation, business management and marketing.
The fishers’ wives received training in producing various processed fish products without preservatives. They were also introduced to production equipment, including fish-smoking apparatus and vacuum sealers.
The fishers, meanwhile, learned how to handle their catch after landing, including through the use of cold storage. The facilities can preserve fish for five to seven days, helping maintain its quality before processing or sale.
With production costs of around Rp100,000–Rp300,000 per day, the Seir Saharey group can earn Rp400,000–Rp800,000. Processing the catch offers the prospect of greater economic value than selling fish fresh alone.
One participant, Mama Nayu Ohoibor, said she had seen a change after taking part in the programme. She and other residents can now turn fish into a range of marketable food products.
“Thankfully, we can now make shredded fish, fish balls, nuggets and fish crisps. Before, we only ate the fish or sold it cheaply. With this programme, things have changed: what used to be a small income can now help improve our household economy in the future,” she said on 26 October 2026.
The development of processed-fish businesses in Weri-Saharey also aligns with the government’s efforts to promote food self-sufficiency. President Prabowo Subianto has previously stressed the importance of food and energy independence amid global uncertainty.
“In today’s world, which is full of conflict and wars everywhere, we must be self-sufficient in food and energy. We must not depend on other nations,” Prabowo said at a thanksgiving reception marking the 100th anniversary of Darussalam Gontor Modern Islamic Boarding School on 19 September 2026.
Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) has also urged the Patriot Expedition Team to map the problems facing communities and seek solutions suited to local needs.
“Because ultimately, these problems are local in context. We can think big—people often use the phrase ‘think globally but act locally’—but in the end, it is local,” AHY said during a dinner discussion with the Patriot Expedition Team in Jayapura on 17 September 2026.
Similarly, Transmigration Minister M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara has emphasised the importance of building prosperity in transmigration areas through sustainable transformation.
“Transforming transmigration today is not simply about moving people; it is about ensuring that prosperity grows in those areas,” he said on 27 April 2026.