KKP Helps 254 Fish Power Openers Affected By Flash Floods In West Sumatra

KKP when providing cash assistance to 254 fish cultivators affected by flash floods in West Sumatra (West Sumatra). Photo: Doc. KKP

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) distributed cash assistance worth IDR 500 million to 254 fish cultivators affected by flash floods in West Sumatra (West Sumatra). Of these, there was a donation of IDR 100 million which was a personal donation from the Minister of KP Sakti Wahyu Trenggono.

Special Assistant to the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries for Media and Public Communication Doni Ismanto explained that the assisted cultivators were scattered in Padang Panjang, Padang Pariaman, Sijunjung, Agam and Tanah Datar. They are freshwater fish cultivators, such as tilapia, mas, patin and catfish.

"This is a direct instruction of Minister Trenggono to help cultivators whose businesses were affected by the flood. The Minister even donated his personal money of Rp. 100 million as a form of sympathy," Doni said as quoted from the KKP official website, Thursday, May 23.

He conveyed this when assisting at the Bandang Flood Poslap, District IV Koto, Agam Regency.

It is known that the cultivators assisted on average suffered considerable losses because the ponds they managed could no longer be used. Apart from the fish that were cultivated lost by the flood, the cultivation pond infrastructure was also damaged, and some even leveled to the ground.

Doni revealed that cash assistance is a short-term assistance. The KKP will still provide medium-term assistance to revive the fishery cultivation business of communities affected by natural disasters in West Sumatra. Medium-term assistance includes repairing cultivation ponds, seed assistance to mothers.

"God willing, rehabilitation and revitalization can be carried out immediately because this damage is quite severe, so it can't be seen that the pond has been flattened to the ground," he said.

The total assistance distributed by the KKP is almost Rp. 500 million, of which Rp. 100 million comes from the personal assistance of Minister Trenggono. This assistance includes cash for cultivators as well as food packages, blankets and milk.

One of the beneficiaries named Epi hopes that rehabilitation can be carried out immediately. He said that currently the condition of his 20x20 meter tilapia soil pond has been razed to the ground. Support infrastructure such as a pond fence made of zinc is also lost by the flood.

"Thank you for the assistance, Mr. Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Hopefully this assistance will be useful for the recovery of our business. In my place there are 13 cultivators whose ponds cannot be used anymore," he said.

The same thing was conveyed by Wali Nagari Koto Tua IV Koto Irvan Darwin. Assistance from the KKP is expected to accelerate the recovery from the damage caused by flash floods some time ago. "We ask for your prayers too, hopefully the recovery process can be completed soon and people can carry out normal activities again," he said.