Maninjau Prison cultivates 20,000 fish fry to support food security

Lubuk Basung (ANTARA) - The Maninjau Class IIB State Prison in Agam Regency, West Sumatra, is cultivating 20,000 fish fry in the institution’s floating net cages to support the food security programme.

The head of Maninjau Class IIB Prison, Moh Setia Hadi, speaking in Lubuk Basung on Monday, said the 20,000 tilapia fry were released on Sunday into the floating net cages owned by the Maninjau Prison.

“The tilapia fry are cultivated and properly managed by the correctional inmates until harvest,” he said.

He said this is a self-reliance training programme for inmates during their sentences.

The release of the tilapia fry is a concrete step in supporting the food security programme within the Maninjau Class IIB Prison.

“This is one form of supporting the food security programme, in addition to planting vegetables at the Assimilation and Education Facility (SAE) site,” he said.

The tilapia cultivation in floating net cages on Lake Maninjau is expected to serve as a means of self-reliance training for inmates while optimising the potential of the facilities owned by the Maninjau Class IIB Prison.

It is also expected to provide benefits in supporting food availability and improving the productivity of training programmes at the prison.

“This programme can provide benefits and become part of self-reliance training for the inmates,” he said.

He acknowledged that the prison also provides self-reliance training in the form of vegetable planting, handicrafts such as vases made from playing cards, and other activities.

Through this training, he hopes the skills gained can be put to use after inmates complete their sentences.

“They can make use of vacant land to grow vegetables and cultivate fish,” he said.