Indonesia plans four integrated fishing ports as export hubs

  The government plans to develop four fishing ports into modern, integrated facilities that will serve as export hubs while offering improved services for fishers and businesses, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said.

He made the statement during the groundbreaking ceremony for one of the projects at Pengambengan Port in Jembrana, Bali, on Tuesday. The three other locations are Cirebon, West Java; Cilacap, Central Java; and Bitung, North Sulawesi.

"We will carry out similar projects in Cilacap and Bitung after this, meaning there will be four facilities upgraded into modern ports or international fish markets," Trenggono said.

He added that the government views the four projects as pilot models and will evaluate their performance before deciding whether to replicate the initiative at other fishing ports.

The minister said the approach mirrors those adopted in other fisheries programs, including the Red and White Fishing Village initiative, the development of mini recirculating aquaculture systems, and the establishment of integrated shrimp farming estates.

Trenggono emphasized that the four locations were selected for the pilot phase based on their potential and strategic roles in supporting the fisheries sector.

He noted, for instance, that the ports in Cilacap and Bali would be developed to capitalize on their potential to support the production and trade of bluefin tuna and squid from Indonesia's southern waters.

Turning to Bitung, the minister said its port would be upgraded to strengthen the fisheries industry in eastern Indonesia.

He also pointed to an ongoing feasibility study for Belawan Port in Medan, North Sumatra.