Indonesia and China Agreed on Arafura Fishing Fleet
The two nations have finalized a technical cooperation deal to deploy 33 vessels in the Arafura Sea.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in International Trade
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Indonesia and China have established a new bilateral partnership to manage 33 fishing vessels within the Arafura Sea. This initiative stems from a joint agreement signed during President Prabowo Subianto's visit to China in November 2024.
Why it matters
The partnership aims to modernize Indonesia's fishing fleet and boost national productivity by integrating technical cooperation into existing state fishing policies. This collaboration is designed to stimulate economic growth in coastal regions through increased processing capacity and job creation.
The joint initiative is expected to produce an annual yield of 9,500 metric tons of fish and generate Rp65 billion (approximately US$3.6 million) in non-tax state revenue. The project is further projected to create 669 new employment opportunities.
The players
Prabowo Subianto
He serves as the current President of Indonesia and facilitated this bilateral agreement during a 2024 state visit.
Sakti Wahyu Trenggono
He is the Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries who signed the technical cooperation guidelines.
Han Jun
He serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for China and a key signatory of the cooperation pact.
The details
The program covers a comprehensive range of activities, including onshore facility development, data exchanges, fish processing, and capacity-building. All participating vessels must strictly adhere to established Indonesian permit requirements, environmental regulations, and monitoring protocols.
Timeline
November 2024: President Prabowo Subianto visited China and issued a joint statement.
September 25, 2026: Official details regarding the bilateral cooperation were published.
Market Dynamics
This partnership reflects a broader shift toward integrating international technical capacity into domestic maritime resource management. It aligns with global trends of modernizing regional fleets through bilateral data and facility-sharing agreements.
The deal signals potential growth in the regional maritime supply chain, which may impact investment interest in local fish processing and onshore infrastructure. Investors should monitor how these 33 vessels affect domestic market supply and related state revenue targets.
The takeaway
This agreement highlights a strategic move to blend foreign technical expertise with domestic industry infrastructure to hit national production quotas. For industry stakeholders, the expansion of the Arafura fleet underscores a significant shift toward formalized international management of regional fishing zones.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in International Trade.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Antara News.
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