The Red and White Fishermen Village Programme by President Prabowo Expected to Boost the Economy

Fishermen along the coast of Banyuwangi, East Java, welcomed the arrival of modern facilities at the Red and White Fishermen Village Programme (KNMP). The programme, initiated by President Prabowo Subianto, is seen as a boon for boosting productivity and the welfare of coastal communities through the integration of upstream to downstream infrastructure.

KNMP Banyuwangi, located in the Plengsengan Ancol area, Lateng Kelurahan, is now equipped with essential facilities such as cold storage, an ice factory, boat repair kiosks, and a cooperative office.

‘We express our gratitude to President Prabowo Subianto. With these adequate facilities, we hope the fishermen can become more prosperous and the coastal economy will further rise,’ said Sunarti (46), Chairperson of the Banyuwangi group for Managing and Marketing Fisheries Results (Poklasar Banyuwangi), on Tuesday (3 March 2026).

KNMP Lateng not only functions as a hub for fishing production but is also designed as a themed tourist destination. The kiosks buildings in this area adopt the traditional Osing people’s house architecture with distinctive Gajah Oling batik ornaments.

Sunarti noted that there are currently 20 kiosks ready to accommodate fishermen’s processed products. She is optimistic that the blend of modern facilities and cultural touches will attract tourists. ‘Hopefully it will become a destination popular with visitors so that the local people’s economy will be raised,’ she added.

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, praised the quality of materials and the construction concept. According to him, KNMP Lateng is part of the government’s major effort to build a sustainable coastal economic ecosystem.

‘In some other regions the focus is more on production infrastructure, but in Banyuwangi this is more downstream-oriented,’ Trenggono said.

For information, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has allocated Rp1.34 trillion to build 65 KNMP across Indonesia. The programme aims to transform traditional fishermen villages into modern economic centres through active participation of cooperatives and communities.