Lombok Zone – The year 2025 heralds a significant transformation in the fisheries and marine sectors in West Nusa Tenggara Province. Under the leadership of Iqbal and Dinda, this sector is evolving beyond merely being a source of primary commodities. It is now positioned as the cornerstone of a productive, competitive, and sustainable agro-maritime industry.
This period represents both a consolidation phase and an opportunity for acceleration. As the inaugural year for implementing the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) for 2025-2029, it also serves as a key moment for reinforcing production structures, enhancing the well-being of business actors, and integrating economic productivity with environmental sustainability.
Enhanced Production and Consolidation of the Sector
In 2025, the total fish production reached 1,252,719.60 tons, exceeding the annual target and reflecting a growth of 2.96 percent compared to 2024. This performance indicates that growth is no longer erratic but is rooted in stabilizing production systems at the levels of fishermen and breeders.
The aquaculture subsector achieved 997,210.64 tons, surpassing its targets with a 1.66 percent annual increase. Although this growth is moderate, it takes place on a substantial production base nearing one million tons, indicating a notable strengthening of the aquaculture structure. The stability in shrimp and seaweed production, alongside improved business efficiency, marks successful technical guidance and the beginning of production integration aligned with market orientation.
On the other hand, the capture fisheries sector realized production of 255,508.96 tons, growing 2.79 percent from the previous year. This growth reflects stabilizing capture activities and optimizing production resources, while ensuring that output increases remain within the sustainability framework for fish resources.
Improved Welfare for Business Players
From an economic perspective, the Fisheries Exchange Rate (NTP) in 2025 recorded at 106.82, showing an increase of 1.23 points compared to 2024, significantly surpassing expectations. This increase suggests that the prices received by fishermen and breeders are rising faster than their costs. At a macro level, these conditions reflect a stabilization of business actors’ welfare and provide evidence that production growth aligns with improved margins.
Environmental Sustainability and Continuous Growth
Indicators of environmental sustainability have also shown progress. By 2025, the area of marine ecosystems classified as healthy reached 14,528 hectares, exceeding targets and marking an improvement from 2024. This progress is supported by the management of 12 marine conservation areas through three designated management bodies. Such advancements in ecosystem quality affirm that growth in the fisheries sector proceeds in harmony with ecological caution.
Strengthened Regulatory Framework
The transformation of the sector is further solidified by the establishment of Provincial Regulation No. 14 of 2025 regarding Sustainable Management of Marine and Fisheries Resources. This regulation clarifies the provincial authority in managing the sea up to 12 miles, bolsters a risk-based licensing system, enhances conservation area management, and inspects mechanisms.
With this legal framework, the direction of fisheries industrial downstreaming is reinforced, aligned with environmental support and the welfare of coastal communities.
Beginning of Downstreaming Initiatives
Additionally, 2025 marks the starting point for restructuring the economic landscape of the marine sector through increased downstreaming efforts. The operation of a salt factory in Bima Regency has transitioned the local economic model from raw material production to value addition.
The impact is evident through increased income for salt farmers, job creation, price stabilization, and reduced dependence on external supply—demonstrating concrete steps toward building a robust agro-maritime value chain.
In the case of the leading shrimp commodity, the local government is preparing a Feasibility Study (FS) and Detailed Engineering Design (DED) for an integrated processing plant linked with the fishing port. Accompanied by investment policy supports such as land provision, licensing facilitation, and fiscal incentives, the strategy emphasizes that the downstreaming approach extends beyond technical planning to form a tangible investment ecosystem.
A Pivotal Year
Overall, nearly all key indicators for 2025 indicate improvement over 2024: production has risen close to 3 percent, both aquaculture and capture sectors are positively growing, the NTP is stronger, and the quality of marine ecosystems is better. If 2024 can be seen as a period of stabilization, then 2025 reflects a more mature and directed consolidation, underpinned by strong regulatory foundations and an increasingly integrated approach to development between productivity, value addition, and sustainability.
Thus, 2025 is positioned as a turning point for the fisheries and marine sector in NTB: a transitional phase from mere quantitative growth towards the transformation of agricultural industry governance that is productive, competitive, and sustainable.
