Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries shifts fishing centre from Benoa to Pengambengan

Jembrana, Bali - The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, has assessed that Benoa Port in Bali is no longer suitable for development as a fishing port. Consequently, the government is directing the development of the fisheries centre towards the Pengambengan Nusantara Fishing Port (PPN) in Jembrana.

“Because Benoa is no longer suitable to serve as a fishing port. Benoa is more appropriate for the tourism sector,” said Trenggono during the groundbreaking ceremony for the development of PPN Pengambengan, as part of the Integrated Fishing Port and International Fish Market Phase 1 project in Jembrana, Bali, on Tuesday.

According to Trenggono, the Benoa area, particularly the Benoa Maritime Tourism Hub, holds greater potential if developed to support the tourism sector, partly due to the presence of mangrove areas that can be integrated with tourism activities.

Based on these considerations, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Disasters (KKP) has selected Pengambengan as the location for a more integrated fishing port development.

Trenggono stated that the construction of PPN Pengambengan will refer to international fishing port standards, which he considers to be cleaner, more organised, and capable of driving the surrounding economy.

“Those who have been abroad can imagine seeing fishing ports there that are so clean and well-maintained, where the economy functions well. We will implement the same approach here,” he said.

He emphasised that he does not want the fishing port in Pengambengan to suffer from the issues of odour and environmental concerns that have plagued several other fishing ports.

“There will be no more bad smells; everything will be well-organised,” Trenggono added.

In addition to fishing activities, Trenggono intends for the area to serve as a public space and a new centre for economic activity. He envisions that both locals and tourists will visit not only for fishery transactions but also to enjoy other facilities, such as a clean fish market and a culinary centre.

“When people come here, it won’t just be for fishery transactions; they can also enjoy a clean fish market, culinary delights, and so on,” he said.

Therefore, Trenggono stressed that the development of PPN Pengambengan must be carried out in an integrated manner, rather than merely constructing port infrastructure.

“I want to build it once, and we want to build it truly integrated,” he concluded.