Transport Ministry Strengthens Fishermen's Safety with 150 Life Jackets
The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) is strengthening fishermen’s safety by handing over 150 life jackets at Muara Angke, North Jakarta, as part of a campaign to build a culture of safe sailing and reduce the risk of maritime accidents.
“Compliance with safety standards, vessel seaworthiness, the use of safety equipment such as life jackets, and an understanding of weather conditions and shipping lanes are the main keys to preventing accidents at sea,” said Director General of Sea Transportation at Kemenhub, Muhammad Masyhud, in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.
He stated that the Ministry of Transportation, through the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, is reinforcing its commitment to building a maritime safety culture in the capital’s coastal areas. During the “Maritime Safety Campaign” event in Muara Angke, Jakarta, the Directorate General of Sea Transportation handed over 150 life jackets to fishermen, with 50 units coming from the Indonesian Classification Bureau (BKI).
“Not only life jackets, but 2,216 Pelaut Merah guidebooks and six electronic small seafarer cards (e-pas kecil) were also given to local fishermen and the maritime community,” he said.
He noted that Muara Angke is a strategic area with very high shipping and fishing activity, so vessel mobility in the area must be balanced with compliance with safety regulations. He emphasised that maritime safety is a shared responsibility requiring the active participation of all stakeholders.
Masyhud therefore urged all ship owners, operators, captains, crew members, and fishermen to always ensure vessels are seaworthy before sailing, equip boats with life jackets and other safety gear, comply with carrying capacity limits, and heed weather information and harbourmaster directives. “Safety must be the primary consideration in every voyage, because no activity is more important than the protection of human life,” he stressed.
Masyhud asserted that using a life jacket is a simple yet crucial step in protecting lives, as it can be the main lifesaver in the event of an emergency or accident at sea. “We hope this maritime safety campaign becomes a momentum to build collective awareness, make safety a culture, and realise safe, comfortable, and sustainable shipping,” he said.
Acting Director of the Marine and Coast Guard Unit (KPLP) at the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Triono, said the assistance handed out at the event was a continuation of a maritime safety campaign previously held at Kaliadem Passenger Port, Muara Angke. “The Ministry of Transportation had previously distributed 604 life jackets, 10 life buoys, 180 basic food packages, 2,791 Pelaut Merah guidebooks, and 38 e-pas kecil to the local maritime community back in December 2025,” he stated.
The maritime safety campaign held at the Muara Angke Fish Auction Site (TPI) was attended by 102 participants from the Ministry of Transportation, local government agencies, associations, shipping stakeholders, as well as representatives of fishermen and tourist boat crews in the DKI Jakarta area. “Through the synergy of all parties, the Directorate General of Sea Transportation is optimistic that the culture of maritime safety will grow stronger, thereby reducing the number of accidents at sea and improving protection for Indonesia’s maritime community,” Triono affirmed.
The event was also attended by the Commander of Naval Region III, the Director of Water and Air Police of the Metro Jaya Regional Police, the Head of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Transportation Agency, the Head of the DKI Jakarta Food Security, Marine Affairs, and Fisheries Agency, representatives of the All-Indonesia Fishermen’s Association (HNSI), as well as community leaders and fishermen representatives from Muara Angke.