Video: Minister Sakti Trenggono Reveals Progress of 1,369 Merah Putih Fishermen's Villages

In the Economic Update 2026, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono outlined the development of the Merah Putih Fishermen’s Village (KNMP) programme, a priority of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. The programme began with the development of Samber-Binyeri Village in Biak Numfor, Papua, as a pilot project in 2023. As a result, KNMP development commenced in 2025 and is set to reach 100 villages by August 2026, with a total of 1,369 villages by the end of the year. The development of KNMP is being carried out through cooperation between the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) and the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB), which is recruiting 1,369 personnel to assist in developing the fishermen’s villages. This step is expected to help improve the welfare of coastal communities by harnessing potential from fisheries to tourism, thereby creating centres of economic growth. Taking lessons from Samber-Binyeri, the Merah Putih Fishermen’s Village focuses on strengthening the fishermen’s ecosystem through the provision of ice factories, fish collectors, logistics supplies for going to sea including fuel, and boat repair workshops, ensuring that the quality of the fishermen’s catch is maintained at export standards. The KKP targets production from the 1,369 KNMP sites to reach approximately 2.8 million tonnes, and the villages will cooperate with the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives (KDMP) as the off-taker for KNMP products. Additionally, the KKP is modernising the fishing fleet with 1,582 modern vessels and 1,000 vessels of 30 GT size by 2028. Fleet modernisation is necessary given that 70% of current fishing boats are wooden vessels, which will increase catch and storage capacity while realising environmentally friendly fishing practices. The Minister also stated that fisheries protein production includes 7.5 million tonnes of wild catch, 5.5 million tonnes of aquaculture, and 10 million tonnes of seaweed, totalling 24 million tonnes. The KKP also ensures that fisheries protein production consistently records a surplus, with exports valued at USD 6 billion and imports at USD 600 million.