Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries will provide 4,582 modern fishing vessels to local fishermen free of charge as part of its fleet modernisation programme. The total investment in the renewal of the national fishing fleet up to 2029 is estimated at 234.55 trillion rupiah (approximately US$12.9 billion). The initiative will be one of the largest structural investments in Indonesia’s maritime sector, reports ANTARA.
The modernisation programme aims to gradually replace old wooden boats, boost fishermen’s purchasing power and reduce post-harvest losses by equipping vessels with built-in refrigeration units. Wooden vessels account for around 91 per cent of Indonesia’s active fishing fleet.
“All fishing vessels under this modernisation initiative, funded through various financing schemes, will be granted entirely free of charge to fishers,” said Mochamad Idnillah, Director of the Directorate of Fishing Vessels and Equipment at Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
The new vessels, with steel and aluminium hulls, will be fitted with modern catch preservation systems. This will help maintain the quality of the fish and enable it to be sold at higher prices.
The programme envisages cooperation with both foreign and domestic manufacturers. To streamline the procurement and construction of the vessels, the ministry is drafting a presidential decree to grant the initiative the status of a national strategic project.