Penajam Paser Utara Directs Fishermen to Process Fish During Dry Season

The Government of Penajam Paser Utara Regency, East Kalimantan Province, is directing local fishermen to optimise their catch by turning it into processed products. This step is being taken as a strategy to address the decline in fish catch volumes due to a prolonged dry season and extreme weather.

Head of the Penajam Paser Utara Fisheries Service, Andi Trasodiharto, stated that hot weather conditions accompanied by strong winds have hampered fishing activities at sea. High waves triggered by the strong winds have prevented fishermen from going to sea normally.

“Fishermen cannot go to sea optimally throughout the hot or dry weather conditions,” Andi Trasodiharto said in Penajam on Saturday (25/7/2026). The impact of these natural conditions is clearly visible in the region’s capture fisheries production figures. According to data from the Penajam Paser Utara Fisheries Service up to July 2026, total production has only reached 3,300 tonnes. This figure shows a significant decrease compared to the same period the previous year, which was able to reach around 5,000 tonnes. For context, the total catch of fishermen until the end of the previous year was recorded at 6,672 tonnes.

In order to maintain the economic stability of fishing families, the district government is encouraging the utilisation of existing catches into processed products, one of which is salted fish. This processing is considered to provide added value to marine products. “Processing the fish catch into salted fish and other products can influence the selling price, which also increases, so it can meet daily needs and cover the reduced catch,” Andi explained. He added that the dry season actually provides a distinct advantage in the production process of processed fish. The current scorching hot weather makes the fish drying process much faster compared to normal conditions.

Currently, Penajam Paser Utara Regency is recorded as having approximately 2,902 fishermen who are members of 367 groups. The region’s fisheries infrastructure is supported by 2,505 fishing vessels of various sizes.