RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has announced plans to build 1,500 fishing vessels starting in 2026 to boost national fisheries productivity. In total, 1,582 vessels will be constructed, including 1,000 units with a capacity of 30 gross tons (GT).

“These 30 GT vessels are planned to be distributed in the Red and White Fishermen’s Village,” said I Nyoman Radiarta, Head of the Marine and Fisheries Human Resources Extension and Development Agency, in Jakarta on Monday, January 26, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Nyoman explained that the construction of several vessels will begin this year, with the program continuing gradually from 2027 to 2028. He emphasized that all vessels will be produced domestically.

The ministry will also provide training for crews, recruited from fisheries schools and coastal communities in the Red and White Fishermen’s Village.

This initiative has received international support. During a state visit to London on Tuesday, January 20, President Prabowo Subianto said that the United Kingdom had pledged to back Indonesia’s plan to build 1,500 fishing vessels through maritime cooperation.

The commitment was conveyed directly by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a bilateral meeting at 10 Downing Street. “The UK will support our plan to build 1,500 fishing vessels, because we want to make a large investment in this,” President Prabowo said.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya stated that the project is expected to create around 600,000 jobs across Indonesia. This figure includes approximately 30,000 crew members and about 400,000 workers in the production and assembly sectors. ***