Fish is a crucial commodity in Maluku, including in the Banda Islands. Data from the Central Maluku Marine and Fisheries Office mentioned that in 2019 that there were 1,576 fishing households in the Banda District, with 272 fish processors, and 3,278 fishermen operating 1,918 fishing vessels. However, despite the existing potential, the management of capture fisheries in the Banda Islands has not been fully optimized. This is due to the remote location of the Banda Islands from economic centers, resulting in a significant amount of wasted fish catches. The number of operating cold storage facilities in Banda is insufficient to accommodate all the fish caught by fishermen. To promote the economic self-reliance of the community, the EcoNusa Foundation has constructed simple floating fish cages and developed a marine station in Lonthoir Village. This contructon is done in collaboration with the Banda Naira Mandiri Cooperative and the Banda Naira University.
Text: Nur Alfiyah | Photo: Dirman Sampulawa
