Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Prabowo Subianto targeted 1,386 Red and White Fishermen Villages to be established and operational by the end of December 2026, as part of efforts to improve fishermen’s welfare and optimize Indonesia’s maritime economic potential.
“Today, 100 fishermen villages have been built. Our target is for 1,386 fishermen villages to be established and operational by the end of December 2026,” Prabowo said in his State of the Nation Address at the 2026 Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the Joint Session of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and House of Representatives (DPR) at the parliament complex here on Friday.
The villages are equipped with various facilities to support fishermen’s activities, ranging from ports, fish auction sites, and cold storage, to workshops, processing facilities, housing, and social facilities.
Prabowo said the development of fishermen villages is an important part of turning the sea into a source of prosperity for Indonesian fishermen.
He said Indonesia’s fisheries sector is worth around US$34 billion annually, but noted that only about five percent of that potential is currently captured by Indonesia, with most of the rest taken by foreign vessels without permission.
“The rest is taken by other countries’ vessels without our permission. Imagine how much value we lose every day, every night,” he said.
Prabowo also raised the need for Indonesia to build a large modern fishing fleet, saying the government needs more than ten thousand vessels to strengthen the national fisheries sector.
“We need tens of thousands of vessels. This is a tough challenge, but we will start. In 2027, we are targeting the start of construction of 1,582 modern fishing vessels,” Prabowo said.
The 2026 Annual Session of the MPR and the Joint Session of the DPR and DPD were held on Friday as part of events marking the 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence.
The sessions were held under the theme “A Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Indonesia.”
Translator: Fathur, Kenzu
Editor: Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
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