Robert J. Kardinal, a member of Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR), said Papua has vast fisheries potential, particularly in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua; Teluk Wondama, West Papua; and Biak Numfor and Supiori in Papua.
"The three regions hold strategic value both as production centers and as outer defense areas supported by fishing communities," he said in a statement cited in Jakarta on Sunday.
Kardinal stressed that the government should prioritize the three areas under the KNMP program because of their abundant fisheries resources, especially yellowfin tuna.
According to him, the regions are located on Indonesia's outermost islands in northern Papua and are geographically closer to neighboring countries than to government centers in Papua.
"It is important to establish Red and White Fishing Villages in those regions because they are among Papua's outermost islands in the north," he said.
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He added that the regions are rich in tuna, skipjack, grouper, seaweed, and sea cucumbers, with most local residents depending on fisheries for their livelihoods.
Kardinal said developing KNMP in the three areas would not only improve fisheries production and downstream processing, but also strengthen Indonesia's outer defense areas through fishing communities.
He pointed out that Papua once had a major fisheries industry through companies such as PT Biak Mina Jaya, PT Usaha Mina, and PT West Irian Fisheries (WIF), which exported tuna and skipjack to Japan and employed thousands of indigenous Papuans.
"That proves Papua can become a major force in the national fisheries industry if managed seriously. The Red and White Fishing Villages program should become the starting point for reviving that glory," he said.
Kardinal expressed support for the government's target of developing more than 1,000 KNMP locations in 2026, while urging the program to reach Papua.
"If Red and White Fishing Villages are developed in the three regions, I believe Papua can once again become the largest tuna hub in eastern Indonesia," he said.
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Translator: Subagyo, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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