Belitung Fishermen Have Natural Printed Products, KKP Hopes They Can Appear At G20

Fisherman woman showing natural print work. (Photo: Doc. Antara/KKP)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) encourages the works of the nation's children to appear at this year's G20 event. One of them is a variety of natural printed products from various natural plant resources, including around the waters found in several fishing villages.

"The results of empowering women fishermen in the form of ecoprints (natural prints) are planned to be exhibited in a series of activities of the G-20 Indonesian Presidency from October to November," said Plt. Director of Licensing and Fisheries, Directorate General of Capture Fisheries, KKP Mochamad Idnillah, in a release quoted by Antara, Sunday, May 29.

He gave an example, Suak Gual Village in Belitung Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, which has been proclaimed as Advanced Fishermen's Village since March 2021, has ecoprint products or natural prints as one of the selling points of this village which will be brought to the international event of the G-20 Presidency.

He stated that the village of Suak Gual has a variety of natural plant resources that have the potential to become natural printed products from various local plants.

"We take advantage of that potential by empowering local fisherwomen. They are easy and don't stutter to accept innovation, so we try to train and provide assistance in the form of cloth and supporting equipment to develop the ecoprint", he said.

Idnillah said Suak Gual is one of the advanced fishing villages because it is supported by the geographical structure and the enthusiasm of the residents to take part in every training held by the KKP.

The number of leaves and flowers that only exist in Suak Gual Village, he continued, as a natural base material also makes natural printed products in this village more unique and artistic.

Some of the products that the people of Suak Gual Village have successfully made include handbags, goodie bags, scarves, pashminas, laptop bags, pouches, and hats of decent quality for the international market.