KBRN, Jakarta: To bring Indonesian fish production quality in line with global standards, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono has set a goal to modernize 1,582 fishing vessels, a key step in improving the national fishing fleet's capacity.

“Through President Prabowo, we were assigned to carry out the modernization of fishing vessels; the President asked for 1,582 ships,” Minister Trenggono said during the 100 Economists Gathering in Jakarta on Tuesday, October 28, 2025,a s quoted by antaranews.com.

He added that the modernization of fishing vessels is a priority program of the President in the food self-sufficiency sector, which includes improving the production tools currently used by fishermen. The impact of this vessel modernization includes increased efficiency and optimization of fish resource utilization.

Furthermore, it is expected to boost fishermen's productivity, increase labor absorption, raise non-tax state revenue (PNBP), and encourage economic growth.

“Fishermen who are still using traditional vessels must switch to more modern, more hygienic ones so that the quality of their fish in the future will be equivalent to the production carried out by more advanced countries,” the Minister stated.

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, through the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries, is gradually encouraging the modernization and transformation of fishing vessels from wood to steel (iron) hulls. This step is to meet determined standards of feasibility: seaworthiness, catch-worthiness, and the ability to store the catch properly within the vessel.

The ministry noted that 65 percent of fishing vessels in Indonesia are, on average, more than 10 years old and are dominated by wood-based ships. About 95 percent of vessels registered with the ministry are primarily made of wood.

While cheaper in terms of financing, the use of wood as the main material for shipbuilding can lead to environmental issues, namely deforestation, and often fails to meet good world fishing vessel standards. Wooden vessels have an average lifespan of 15–20 years, depending on maintenance.

Structurally, wooden vessels have drawbacks because they are generally built traditionally and often do not meet standard requirements for seaworthiness, catch-worthiness, and proper storage of the catch.

The majority of current fishing vessels use modified land engines (non-marine engine standard), making them vulnerable to corrosion, overheating, oil leakage, high carbon emissions, and transmission failure. ***