Keluarga nelayan Kampung Saharey, Fakfak, Papua Barat, mengolah hasil tangkapan menjadi produk olahan ikan dengan pendampingan TEP Unhas. (Foto: Kementrans)
FAKFAK — The spirit of food self-sufficiency championed by President Prabowo Subianto is now being felt on the coast of West Papua. In Kampung Saharey, Weri-Saharey District, Fakfak Regency, fishing families who once only sold fresh fish are now turning their catch into a range of value-added food products, earning profits of about three times their capital.
The change grew out of mentoring by the Patriot Expedition Team (Tim Ekspedisi Patriot, TEP) of Hasanuddin University (Unhas) together with the Ministry of Transmigration. Twenty fishing households from the Seir Saharey group took part.
From Fear of Spoilage to Value-Added Products
TEP Unhas member Adnan said local fishers had previously been reluctant to catch large volumes for fear the fish would spoil quickly, leaving their income unstable. A lack of post-harvest processing skills, appropriate technology and market access were the main obstacles.
Through the program, fishers’ wives were trained to make preservative-free fish balls, pentol, nuggets, sambal, crackers and fish floss (abon), using smoking equipment and vacuum sealers. The training also covered packaging and labeling, sanitation, business management and marketing. Fishers also learned post-harvest handling with cold storage that keeps fish fresh for 5–7 days.
Rp400,000 to Rp800,000 a Day
The results are tangible. With daily capital of Rp100,000 to Rp300,000, the fishing group can now earn Rp400,000 to Rp800,000 a day from processed fish products.
One participant, Mama Nayu Ohoibor, said she can now make fish floss, fish balls, nuggets and fish crackers. “Before, we just ate it or sold it cheaply,” she said, describing how fish that once had little value has become a source of family income.
In Line with the Food Self-Sufficiency Vision
The program is in line with President Prabowo’s emphasis on national self-reliance. “We must be self-sufficient in food and energy. We must not depend on other nations,” the President said at the reception marking 100 years of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor on 19 September 2026.
Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), in a dialogue with TEP in Jayapura on 17 September 2026, encouraged the team to map local problems and find solutions suited to local conditions. “Because in the end, the problems are local in context,” AHY said.
Minister of Transmigration M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara has also underlined the program’s new direction, which focuses on developing sustainable areas. “The transformation of transmigration today is not merely about moving people,” he said.
The story of Saharey’s fishers shows that well-targeted mentoring can turn the sea’s potential in coastal villages into real prosperity, while strengthening food security from the village up.
Summarized from the Ministry of Transmigration and detikNews (in Indonesian).
