Minister Trenggono Ensures A Measurable Fish Fishing Policy For The Welfare Of Small Fishermen

Minister of KKP Sakti Wahyu Trenggono (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Sakti Wahyu Trenggono ensured that the implementation of the quota-based measurable fishing policy (PIT) would provide welfare for small fishermen.

Minister Trenggono said, in line with the implementation of the PIT, his party will build a modeling of 10 integrated developed fishing villages whose locations are planned around the capture zone.

The development aims to improve the quality of human resources while increasing the productivity of small fishermen who are members of cooperatives. At this initial stage, as many as 10 villages were at one point, namely zone 3 which includes WPP 718, 715, and 714.

"This is what we are currently identifying in each area of the arrests. So, we will build this village. There is a dock, there is a docking ship, there is cold storage, there is an ice factory, there is a fish market, if necessary we will help the ship," said Trenggono in his official statement in Jakarta, Friday, March 24.

"Then, we install the BLU there. We will develop the communication center, including the training center which will later be filled by extension workers, and we data on residents there whose names are small fishermen in one village, we direct them to join one cooperative," he added.

Trenggono also emphasized that small fishermen who are members of cooperatives still get a catch quota, and are not even subject to a Non-Tax State Withdrawal (PNBP) like investors or business actors receiving quotas in the industrial zone. KKP will also synergize with local governments in distributing quotas for small fishing cooperatives.

Later, Trenggono continued, the security system on small fishing boats will also be improved by embedding Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and Automatic Identification System technologies. Procurement of this technology on small fishing boats will be borne by the government.

"It is in the process of what is the ideal (coota). The most crucial thing is the quota for the small interests of traditional local fishermen. The crucial thing is not to let this quota when given be used by industry players, because this quota is not subject to PNBP," he explained.

In addition, Trenggono assessed that the implementation of PIT would later be able to oversee government assistance for small fishermen to be more targeted, for example, such as the distribution of fuel. This is because small fishermen are most entitled to subsidized diesel in SPBN.

"For local traditional fishermen, we prepared the villages earlier. We also prepared gas stations that were really available. For example, one village contains 1,200 people, we recorded how many ships, how much fuel needs we can calculate, so we can find out how much the needs are," he said.