Antara News·Indonesia·Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 06:54 AM

Govt aims to develop Sorong Economic Zone into fishery processing hub

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Yuvensius Banafanu, Uyu Liman

Sorong, Southwest Papua (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is pushing to develop the Sorong Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Southwest Papua into a major seafood processing hub to maximize the economic value of the region's abundant marine resources.

Director General of Marine and Fisheries at the Ministry of Investment and Downstream Industry Muhammad Faisal said here on Monday (September 28) that the zone is primed to become the backbone of the province's fisheries sector.

"We hope the Sorong SEZ can serve as a prime location for the seafood processing industry," Faisal stated during a visit by Committee II of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) to the Southwest Papua Governor's Office.

He noted that a preliminary study on developing a tuna processing industry within the SEZ has already been conducted. However, the findings revealed that foundational upgrades are necessary before large-scale operations can begin.

"Based on the feasibility study, inadequate supporting infrastructure and distribution networks are the primary areas that need strengthening," Faisal explained.

Developing the fish processing industry is a core component of Indonesia's broader downstreaming policy — an economic strategy aimed at processing raw natural resources domestically to multiply their export value.

Under this model, commodities such as tuna, skipjack, and mackerel would be processed locally into high-value derivative products like fish meal, fish oil, gelatin, and collagen, rather than being exported as raw catch.

A localized fish oil industry, for instance, would not only serve international markets but also address domestic public health needs by providing affordable nutritional supplements for children in the province, he added.

Despite the vast potential, Faisal acknowledged several significant hurdles to modernizing the sector. High investment costs, logistical challenges, underdeveloped infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled labor have slowed progress.

Additionally, conservative lending by banks — which often view the fisheries sector as high-risk — has restricted financing access for local businesses. To build a sustainable industrial ecosystem, Faisal emphasized the critical need to develop local talent.

"If the focus is on fisheries, we must establish vocational schools specializing in this field so we do not have to rely on a workforce from other provinces," he said.

Beyond creating jobs and stimulating the regional economy, expanding the fisheries sector is expected to help decentralize investment in Southwest Papua. Over the past few years, capital inflows have been heavily concentrated within Sorong City and Sorong District.

"We need to stimulate growth not only in Sorong City and Sorong District but also across other districts through the mining, plantation, and fisheries sectors," Faisal concluded.

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