Indonesian Fishermen’s Association Applauds President’s Commitment to Fishermen’s Welfare

Jakarta – The All Indonesia Fishermen Association (HNSI) has welcomed President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to improving the welfare of fishermen, as he addressed the plenary session of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in the parliamentary complex on Wednesday, during the agenda delivering the Macro Economy Framework and Fiscal Policy Principles (KEM-PPKF). Secretary-General Lydia Assegaf said the President’s plan to build various facilities to support the fisheries and maritime sector, including an ice factory, cold storage, fish processing units, and docking facilities for vessels, is needed to strengthen productivity and competitiveness of Indonesian fishermen. ‘We, on behalf of fishermen across Indonesia, appreciate the President’s commitment and seriousness in efforts to improve the welfare of Indonesian fishermen,’ she said in Jakarta on Wednesday. She also expressed full support for the Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih program, which is currently under construction in various regions of Indonesia. According to her, the program is expected to become a hub for strengthening the coastal economy while pushing improvements in the living standards of fishermen and their families in a sustainable manner. For this reason, she hopes the various programs already conveyed by the President can be realized promptly and optimally and targeted to deliver real impacts on improving fishermen’s welfare across Indonesia. ‘This program is a strategic step to strengthen the maritime sector and enhance the welfare of fishing communities,’ she said. Previously, President Prabowo Subianto, in his speech at the DPR RI plenary session, highlighted the difficulties fishermen face in obtaining ice and diesel fuel for fishing. Accordingly, the government will intervene by building 5,000 fishermen villages in the next three years. This year, the government aims to inaugurate 1,386 fishermen villages. The government will also build ice-production installations, cold storage facilities, and dedicated fishermen’s service stations (SPBU nelayan) in every fishermen village.