Jokowi Asks Prabowo To Continue The Nila Fish Cultivation Area Program On The Island Of Java

President Joko Widodo when inaugurating the Nila Salin Fish Cultivation Modeling managed by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in North Pusakajaya Village, Cilebar District, Karawang, Wednesday. (ANTARA/Ali Khumaini)

President Joko Widodo said that ponds that had not been used for a long time in the North Coast of Java (Pantura) could be developed, such as modeling a tilapia copy fish cultivation area in Karawang Regency, West Java.

"I will convey (to the new president) to continue and realize this program (twisted tilapia) throughout Java Island," said President Jokowi when inaugurating the Nila Salin Fish Cultivation Modeling managed by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in North Pusakajaya Village, Cilebar District, Karawang reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 8.

The President said the tilapia fish pond has a very large world market demand. In 2024 alone 14.4 billion US dollars, approximately Rp230 trillion.

According to the President, the construction of a copy fish cultivation modeling in Karawang is the right choice to see the readiness of the industry and the government in receiving and managing the rest of the ponds that do not operate throughout Java Island.

"The shrimp pond in Pantura has been empty for a long time, idle, there are no activities there. There are 78 thousand hectares along from Serang to Banyuwangi, from Banten, Central Java, and East Java. 78 thousand hectares of idle ponds that we will prepare," he said.

It was stated that considering that the shrimp pond was no longer used, the most likely thing now is to use it for tilapia fish ponds which have a very large world market demand.

The modeling of tilapia copy fish cultivation is the breakthrough of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono which was built since 2023 with an area of 80 hectares.

The land was originally a shrimp pond built by President Soeharto since 1984 under the name Pandu Tambak Inti Rakyat Project and stopped in 1998.

Since the program did not run, the shrimp pond land has been contaminated, so it has become a state asset without a function for decades. It was only last year that it was used for copy tilapia cultivation.

The tilapia copy fish cultivation, which was built with an investment value of up to IDR 76 billion, is now managed by the Cultivation Fisheries Production Business Service Center (BLUPPB).

President Jokowi hopes that the modeling of tilapia copy fish cultivation in Karawang can serve as a pilot for cultivation and use of non-operating ponds for business actors who cultivate using public waters such as lakes.