Wakil Presiden Tinjau Pasar Sayur dan Ikan Fandoi di Kabupaten Biak Numfor

After inspecting Biak Numfor 41 Public Senior High School to ensure the smooth running of education, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming visited the Fandoi Fish Market in Biak Numfor Regency, Papua, to directly observe fish trading activities, the fishery product distribution chain, and supporting facilities used by traders and fishermen on Tuesday (January 13, 2026). During the inspection, the Vice President ensured that strengthening the fishermen's economy would be carried out in an integrated manner, in line with President Prabowo Subianto's mandate to develop a Fishermen's Village as a center for the production, processing, and marketing of community fisheries. The Fishermen's Village currently being built by the central government in Biak is expected to be directly connected to community markets such as the Fandoi Fish Market. This will allow for facility improvements, smooth distribution, and increased competitiveness of local fishery products, transforming the market into not only a transactional space but also a driving force for the prosperity of coastal communities. During the inspection, the Vice President was accompanied by Papua Governor Mathius D. Fakhiri, Commander of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Command, Major General Amrin Ibrahim, Director of PT Biak Ocean Seafood Yunus Saflembolo, Deputy Regent of Biak Numfor Jimmy Carter Rumbarar Kapissa, and Head of the Biak Numfor Regency Fisheries Office, Effendi Igirisa. On this occasion, the Vice President also directly inspected the operation of the cold storage facility located in the Fandoi Fish Market area. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the quality of fishery products as key to expanding export market access. "Quality must be maintained so that fishermen's fisheries products can penetrate the export market," the Vice President emphasized. On a separate occasion, Head of the Biak Numfor Fisheries Office, Effendi Igirisa, explained that the facility has a storage capacity of up to 200 tons with the ability to freeze up to 10 tons using an air blast freezer (ABF). "This cool storage facility was built in 2018 through the Integrated Maritime and Fisheries Center program of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, with funding support from JICA. The assets have now been handed over to the Biak Numfor Regional Government, in collaboration with PT Biak Ocean Seafood," said Effendi. According to him, PT Biak Ocean Seafood purchases fish from fishermen in various regions, from East Biak, North Biak, West Biak, and Biak City, as well as the surrounding islands. In approximately three months of operation, the management has shipped six containers of fish to Semarang, where they are sorted and exported to China. Effendi added that to maintain supply continuity, the management has also added its own fishing fleet, including vessels measuring approximately 54 GT. This measure was taken to maintain business stability, especially when the weather is unfavorable and the fishermen's catch decreases. He further stated that the presence of cool storage has had a positive impact on fishermen's incomes. With adequate storage facilities, fishermen's catches can be absorbed in large quantities without causing a drop in market prices. "Prices have become more stable, thus increasing fishermen's incomes," he said. Besides fish, Fandoi Market also provides various other food needs, including vegetables. During the inspection, the Vice President took the time to greet the vendors, including not only fish vendors but also vegetable vendors operating at the market. One of them, Dolfina Pondayar (66), a betel nut vendor who has been selling at Fandoi Market since 2002. She expressed her pleasure at the Vice President's presence and expressed her hope for financial support for small vendors, especially Papuan women. "We Papuan women sell, but what we lack is capital. So we sell in small quantities," she said. For your information, Fandoi Fish Market has a 1,250-square-meter dry market and a 750-square-meter wet market, with three stalls equipped with 60 concrete tables. Currently, approximately 60 vegetable vendors and 110 fish vendors are active daily, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. WIT. This review affirms the government's commitment to strengthening traditional markets as the foundation of the regional economy, while expanding access to welfare for fishermen and small traders in Papua. Biak Numfor, January 13, 2026 Press, Media, and Information Bureau Secretariat of the Vice President