Indonesia and FAO Discuss Strengthening Aquaculture Sector Cooperation

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Sakti Wahyu Trenggono met with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General, Dr Qu Dongyu to discuss opportunities for strengthening cooperation in aquaculture and fish farming. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 37th session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in Rome, Italy, recently, as part of efforts by both sides to deepen their strategic partnership in food and marine affairs.

As quoted in a KKP press release in Jakarta on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the planned partnership is intended as a solution to boost production of nutritious food, strengthen the welfare of coastal communities, and safeguard the sustainability of fisheries resources. These three priorities formed the core of discussions between the two sides during the high level meeting.

FAO believes Indonesia holds great potential to develop high value fisheries and seafood commodities with promising prospects in international markets. With a population of more than 280 million people, making it the world's fourth most populous country, Indonesia's success in maintaining food security and improving public nutrition is seen as a significant contribution to global efforts to address food challenges. "Food security and nutrition in Indonesia are not only a national issue but also an important part of the global agenda. Indonesia's success will be a major contribution to the world," Qu said.

During the meeting, Qu also praised Indonesia's development progress in recent years and expressed optimism about the country's development vision toward 2045. He said Indonesia has strong potential to become a leading economic power in Southeast Asia through inclusive and sustainable development.

Qu further encouraged the development of sustainable aquaculture as an alternative that can offer more reliable income for communities compared with reliance on wild capture fishing. He said developing fish farming can support the conservation of marine resources while increasing the availability of animal protein for the public.

He shared the experiences of several countries that have successfully shifted part of their small scale fishing communities toward aquaculture through stronger institutions, the development of farming technology, and business models built on partnerships and joint investment. "This approach can serve as a reference for Indonesia in building a more efficient fisheries production system, raising community incomes, and ensuring the sustainability of marine resources for future generations," Qu said.

He also shared international experience on the use of policy instruments that support capacity building for farmers and fishers, including training, disease control, technology development, and the empowerment of women and young people.

Meanwhile, Minister Trenggono conveyed Indonesia's commitment to accelerating the transformation of its marine and fisheries sector through strengthening aquaculture, improving the productivity of coastal communities, and applying sustainability principles in the management of marine resources. Beyond fisheries and aquaculture, discussions between the two sides also covered water resource management as an important part of the food system.

Both parties agreed to continue strengthening the strategic partnership between Indonesia and FAO to support productive, inclusive, and sustainable development of the marine, fisheries, food, and water resource sectors, both nationally and globally.