Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said on Wednesday that the financing would support the Maritime and Fisheries Integrated Surveillance System (MFISS) project, which has a total investment value of Rp5.83 trillion.
“We seek Commission IV’s approval for Rp2 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year,” Trenggono told lawmakers during a hearing with the House of Representatives’ Commission IV in Jakarta.
The modernization plan includes constructing 10 patrol ships, acquiring drones, and upgrading digital systems, such as establishing regional monitoring centers, improving data infrastructure, and integrating national and local control systems.
Trenggono said Indonesia currently operates only 34 patrol vessels—most more than 15 years old—well below the 70 ships needed to monitor the nation’s six fishing zones.
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Under the plan, four of the new ships will be built in Spain and six in Indonesia, with construction expected to begin this year.
The project will be supervised by Deputy Minister Didit Herdiawan, who has expertise in shipbuilding, and is scheduled for completion by 2028.
“The MFISS program is a strategic step to improve maritime surveillance effectiveness through real-time data coordination between patrol vessels, satellites, and other monitoring facilities,” Trenggono said.
He added that the initiative would help protect Indonesian fishermen and territorial waters from illegal fishing by foreign vessels, contributing to better security and higher incomes in coastal areas.
“We will ensure the project is implemented transparently, accountably, and lawfully,” he said.
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Translator: Muhammad H, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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