Indonesia allocates US$66.67 mln to develop modern fishery hub in Bali

Jembrana, Bali (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has allocated Rp1.2 trillion (approximately US$66.6 million) to develop the Pengambengan Fishing Port in Jembrana, Bali, transforming it into a modern and integrated maritime hub.

Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said the facility is designed to serve not only as a center for commercial fisheries but also to support Bali's broader industrial and tourism sectors.

"The figure we are disbursing here is no less than Rp1.2 trillion. It will become a highly modern and well-organized port," Trenggono said during the project's groundbreaking ceremony in Jembrana on Tuesday (September 29).

He emphasized that a project of this scale requires comprehensive funding rather than piecemeal development to ensure that all supporting facilities are seamlessly integrated.

"I do not want the development budget for Pengambengan to be merely Rp500 billion (US$27.7 million) or Rp600 billion (US$33.3 million). I want to build it properly once and for all; we want to build it to be truly integrated," he said.

Trenggono explained that Pengambengan was selected for the major expansion because Benoa Port — Bali's primary maritime gateway in the south — is no longer suitable for large-scale fisheries operations.

Due to its proximity to mangrove conservation areas, Benoa is now being prioritized to support the tourism sector. Consequently, the government shifted its commercial fisheries focus to Pengambengan, adopting a modern design inspired by international fishing ports in Australia, Japan, Turkey, Spain, and other parts of Europe.

The minister also emphasized the importance of strict environmental standards, particularly regarding cleanliness and waste management. All industrial facilities operating within the new port area must be connected to a centralized wastewater treatment system.

"Once this is built, the prerequisite is that wastewater must be properly managed, ensuring this port can successfully combine industry and tourism potentials," he explained.

Beyond boosting Indonesia's fisheries sector, the development of Pengambengan Fishing Port is expected to create approximately 25,000 jobs. Trenggono urged the regional government to establish tailored education and vocational training programs to ensure local residents are prepared to meet the workforce demand.

"The workers here should ideally be Balinese. We should not have to rely on migrant workers from Java. It should be the local Balinese people securing these good jobs through proper training and education," he said.

The government hopes the modernized Pengambengan Port will drive sustainable economic growth for various coastal communities while complementing Bali's world-renowned tourism industry.

Related news: Indonesia plans four integrated fishing ports as export hubs

Translator: Maria Galuh , Uyu Liman
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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