JAYAPURA – Papua Governor Matius D. Fakhiri emphasized that the marine and fisheries sector is one of the main pillars in supporting Papua's development transformation toward becoming smart, prosperous, and harmonious.

The Governor made the statement when opening the 2026 Papua Province Marine and Fisheries Coordination Forum in Jayapura on Wednesday, June 3.

According to Fakhiri, the forum plays a strategic role as a platform for consolidating and synchronizing marine and fisheries development programs in Papua.

"2026 is an important momentum for the transformation of marine and fisheries development. We must move faster, be more adaptive, innovative, and integrated in responding to the various challenges we face," he said.

The Governor said Papua has enormous fisheries resource potential, estimated at 1.3 million tons per year. However, current utilization only reaches around 235,000 tons per year.

Therefore, the management of the marine and fisheries sector must continue to be strengthened to increase production while also improving the welfare of coastal communities, fishermen, fish farmers, fishery product processors, and other fisheries business actors.

Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua's fisheries subsector grew by 8.32 percent. This achievement shows that the fisheries sector plays an important role in supporting regional economic growth.

Fakhiri also expressed appreciation for the central government's attention through the National Strategic Program of the Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih. Of the 200 locations allocated nationally, Papua has proposed 86 locations spread across several regencies and cities.

"This program must be jointly overseen so that it can increase productivity, strengthen the economy of coastal communities, and create new jobs," he said.

In addition, the Papua Provincial Government continues to encourage downstream development in the marine and fisheries sector through the development of supporting facilities and infrastructure, including fishing ports in Jayapura and Biak.

"With stronger infrastructure and downstream development, Papua's fisheries potential can provide greater added value for the community and support sustainable regional economic growth," he concluded. ***