Lotharia Latif, the ministry's Director General of Capture Fisheries, stated that these initiatives aim to create a robust and comprehensive marine product ecosystem, covering both upstream and downstream sectors.
“The assistance includes a green mussel cultivation training program, fishing safety equipment, and a ship repair training program,” he said in Tangerang on Sunday.
Latif said the training programs are available to fishermen at three fish auction centers in Tanjung Pasir, Kronjo, and Pakuhaji.
The ministry has also distributed assistance, including 300 life jackets, 600 packages of sailing supplies, 200 cooler boxes to 17 local fishermen business communities, and three pumps for the auction centers.
He added that the ministry is also offering a fish processing training course for the wives of fishermen.
Furthermore, the ministry has awarded scholarships to 10 children of fishermen, enabling them to study at the ministry's polytechnics free of charge.
The director general explained that these scholarships are the government's way of developing talent capable of optimizing natural resources, particularly in the fisheries sector.
He expressed hope that this educational approach will lead to improved living standards for Indonesian fishermen and their families.
"Essentially, the ministry is committed to helping fishermen enhance their capacity through training and providing their children with fully funded education at our institutions," he concluded.
On February 3, the Indonesian Ombudsman Representative Office for Banten Province reported that the sea fence caused losses of Rp24 billion (approximately US$1.5 million) for around 3,888 local fishermen between August 2023 and January 2, 2024.
The following day, it was reported that the Indonesian Navy had removed at least 20 kilometers of the sea fence, which stretches along the coast of 16 villages in six sub-districts.
Meanwhile, Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR) Minister Nusron Wahid affirmed that his ministry would annul all right-to-build and ownership certificates for the 263 plots of submerged land where the fence is located.
To date, the ATR Ministry has revoked at least 50 certificates.
Related news: Minister vows to abolish certificates linked to Tangerang sea fence
Related news: Indonesian Navy removes 20 kilometers of sea fence in Tangerang waters
Translator: Azmi S, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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