Special Staff to the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Doni Ismanto Darwin, said the completed villages are ready for use, with several locations already conducting initial export activities.
“Out of the 65 locations under development, 19 are 100 percent complete and operational. The remaining locations have reached an average progress of around 80 percent,” Darwin said at a press conference on Wednesday.
He noted that operational Red and White Fishermen’s Villages are located in Tolitoli District, Central Sulawesi; Bumiharjo Sub-district, Central Java; Pujiharjo Sub-district, East Java; Lebetawi Sub-district, Maluku; Gebang Mekar Sub-district, West Java; Karang Duwur Sub-district, Central Java; and Poncosari Sub-district, the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
Darwin added that the Red and White Bentenge Fishermen’s Village in Bulukumba District, South Sulawesi, recorded its first export on January 9, 2026, shipping nearly one ton of fresh fish to Saudi Arabia.
In the first phase of development, the ministry is targeting the completion of 65 Red and White Fishermen’s Villages by May 2026, with 35 locations scheduled for completion by the end of January 2026. Despite challenges posed by extreme weather conditions, Darwin emphasized that construction activities would continue to meet the established targets.
The Red and White Fishermen’s Village program is a strategic government initiative aimed at empowering coastal communities and strengthening local economies.
The program focuses not only on physical development but also on the provision of essential supporting infrastructure to improve fishermen’s daily activities and productivity.
Each village is equipped with basic facilities such as docks, access roads, drainage systems, and electric lighting.
Additional facilities include cold storage units, ice factories, fishermen’s workshops, logistics kiosks, and public fuel stations for fishermen (SPBUN).
The development model is based on the success of Samber-Binyeri Village in Biak Numfor District, Papua, where fishermen’s monthly incomes reportedly doubled from around Rp3 million (US$175) to Rp6 million (US$350) with support from the ministry.
The Red and White Fishermen’s Village program (KNMP) is part of the national food security agenda and aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita missions.
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Translator: Shofi Ayudiana, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Primayanti
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