Red and White Fisherman Village in South Lampung Boosts Fish Value to Rp14,000 per kg

The Red and White Fisherman Village (KNMP) programme in Ketapang Village, South Lampung Regency, is driving the downstream processing of belo and selangat fish, resulting in an increase in selling prices to between Rp13,000 and Rp14,000 per kilogram (kg).

The Acting Director General of Strengthening the Competitiveness of Marine and Fisheries Products (PDSPKP), Erwin Dwiyana, stated that fish previously sold by fishermen for around Rp700–Rp1,000 per kilogram is now processed into fillets through KNMP facilities.

“Fish from fishermen is currently valued at Rp2,000 per kg by offtakers, which then becomes fish fillets with a selling price of Rp13,000–14,000 per kg,” Erwin said in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday.

He noted that the fish processing takes place within the KNMP Ketapang cold storage handling area, ensuring the programme supports not only upstream fishing activities but also creates business opportunities in the downstream sector.

The processing activities also involve 11 women, who are the wives of local fishermen, as part of the workforce.

In addition to processing fish into fillets, KNMP Ketapting utilises unused parts of the fish, such as entrails, bones, and heads, as raw materials for fish meal.

The Director of Processing at the Directorate General of PDSPKP, Budi Yuwono, stated that this waste has an economic value of approximately Rp3,000–Rp4,000 per kilogram.

“Therefore, no part goes to waste,” he said.

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) hopes that the development of KNMP Ketapang can serve as a model for other fishing villages in developing processing businesses based on local fishery commodities.

The KKP has established KNMP in 100 locations for 2025, with 65 of these currently in operational trial status. The construction of KNMP will continue until 2029, targeting 5,000 fishing villages across Indonesia, with development aimed at reaching 1,269 KNMP points by 2026.