Indonesia is set to build 2,000 fishing villages across the country as part of a large-scale national programme aimed at improving the livelihoods of coastal communities, strengthening food security and modernising the fisheries sector, reports
ANTARA.
Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan announced that construction of the new fishing villages will begin across multiple regions, including East Nusa Tenggara, one of the country’s key island provinces. The initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance economic resilience in coastal areas and expand support for small-scale fishermen.
According to the minister, the future fishing villages will include integrated infrastructure such as ice factories, cold storage facilities, fish auction centres and fishermen’s cooperatives designed to stabilise prices and reduce post-harvest losses. Authorities say the programme is intended to address long-standing challenges faced by fishing communities, particularly the lack of storage capacity and market access.
Officials explained that unsold fish often spoil due to inadequate preservation infrastructure, reducing fishermen’s incomes and increasing waste. Under the new system, cooperatives will be able to purchase unsold catches directly from fishermen, helping guarantee more stable earnings and improving supply chain efficiency.
The government also plans to expand cooperative support systems by providing transport vehicles, refrigerated logistics, financial services and equipment for local fishing communities. Regional administrations have been instructed to accelerate data collection and planning procedures to support implementation in 2026.
Experts note that the fishing village initiative could become one of Indonesia’s largest coastal infrastructure projects in recent years, with long-term implications for employment, food distribution and rural economic development.