Pelatihan penggunaan GPS untuk menentukan daerah penangkapan ikan bagi nelayan kecil di Aula Kantor Kecamatan Tarumajaya, Kabupaten Bekasi, Selasa (27/10/2026). (Foto: Jaja Jaelani/Diskominfosantik Kab. Bekasi)
BEKASI — Small-scale fishers on Bekasi Regency’s northern coast now have new tools before heading out to sea. The Bekasi Regency Fisheries Office held a training session on using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and reading weather information for 50 local fishers at the Tarumajaya District Office hall on Tuesday, 27 October 2026.
The training helps fishers identify fishing grounds, know their coordinates at sea, and understand weather conditions before setting out. Speakers included Andi Cahyadi of the BMKG Class I Meteorological Station in Tanjung Priok and an extension coordinator experienced in GPS and navigation training for fishers.
Tech-Savvy and Weather-Aware
Tasim Suryadi, head of the Fishers Empowerment Team at the Bekasi Regency Fisheries Office, said the training aims to improve fishers’ ability to use technology while strengthening risk mitigation and navigation.
“We hope our fishers start becoming tech-literate and able to use the resources available. There is also a mitigation and navigation aspect, so fishers can know their coordinates and understand natural conditions before going to sea.”
Tasim Suryadi, Bekasi Regency Fisheries Office
According to Tasim, fishing is heavily affected by sea conditions such as wave height, current speed, wind speed, and the chance of rain. Fishers were therefore taught to read weather information from the BMKG app before deciding to go out, especially as the rainy season and west monsoon approach.
A Phone Is Enough
Until now, many fishers have relied on experience, instinct, and habit to decide where to fish. Technology can complement that experience by helping locate fish, saving search time, and making fuel use more efficient.
Best of all, fishers do not need to buy expensive equipment. The mobile phones they already own are enough to access the BMKG app and use GPS features.
“By using technology that is already available, we hope fishers can plan their fishing operations better. Ideally, fishing time becomes more efficient, fuel use is reduced, and catches meet targets, while safety remains the priority,” Tasim said.
Muaragembong Next
According to Fisheries Office data, Bekasi Regency has 4,073 fishers. About 75 percent live in Muaragembong District, around 20 percent in Tarumajaya, and the rest in Babelan and Cabangbungin.
Tasim said similar training could be held in other coastal areas if evaluations show it benefits fishers. Muaragembong, home to the largest number of fishers, is one of the areas under consideration.
“The principle is that our fishers must be safe and prosperous: physically safe and economically prosperous,” Tasim concluded.
Summarized from Portal Jabar, Bekasi Regency Government, and Tirta Bhagasasi (in Indonesian).
