Indonesia advances fishing village program and earthquake relief

Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is implementing the Red and White Fishing Village (KNMP) program to enhance the welfare of coastal communities. Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono announced that infrastructure development is underway in locations such as Sorue Jaya Village in Southeast Sulawesi, which is among the first 100 sites to complete construction. The program aims to modernize up to 1,269 locations by the end of the year, with a long-term goal of upgrading 5,000 villages by 2029. Facilities include ice factories, cold storage, fueling stations, and culinary centers to boost fisheries productivity.

In a separate effort, the ministry has deployed the surveillance vessel Orca 06 to deliver 50 metric tons of relief supplies to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. The shipment, consisting of food and medicine, was flagged off from Kendari to support communities in Labuan Bajo and surrounding areas. The ministry has also established a task force and disaster response posts to coordinate ongoing emergency and recovery efforts.