Telkom Empowers Banten Fishermen’s Wives with Seafood Processing Training

As an innovative step in improving the sustainable utilization of fishery products, PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom) initiated training in fishery product processing, including preservation and product packaging technology. The training activity, held at the Permanent Housing Complex on February 25-26, 2025, was attended by 20 participants consisting of fishermen’s wives and MSME actors.

This training was held to enhance the skills and knowledge of fishermen’s wives in processing fishery products that have marketable value and are competitive in the market. Freshly caught fish can be independently processed into higher-value products, such as shredded and dried mackerel, spicy anchovies, and chili squid paste. These processed products are expected to have the potential to become new innovations as typical souvenirs of Ujung Kulon, Banten.

The tsunami that occurred in Banten in 2018 had a significant impact on the entire ecosystem and the lives of the local community. The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau triggered underwater landslides, causing a tsunami to strike the coastal areas around the Sunda Strait. The disaster resulted in hundreds of fatalities, tens of thousands of injured and displaced people due to infrastructure damage, and significant economic impacts due to the loss of jobs that were the source of daily livelihoods.

The Permanent Housing Complex (Huntap) in Sumberjaya Village is one of the relocation sites for the victims of the Sunda Strait tsunami located in Pandeglang Regency, Banten. This village was built as part of the government’s efforts to provide safer housing for disaster-affected communities. The majority of residents who work as fishermen do not have a definite daily income. This is because the fresh fish catch of the fishermen is highly dependent on sea waves. If the sea waves are high, the fishermen do not earn income, and thus family needs are not met.

Dependence on the sale of fresh fish and the lack of diversification of fishery products remain major challenges for the fishing communities in the Permanent Housing Complex. Therefore, a new innovation is needed to increase income and improve the economy of fishermen’s families.

“Previously, we only depended on the sales of our husbands’ catches. Now, we can process them ourselves into higher-value products,” said Siti Sadiah, one of the fishermen’s wives in Pandeglang. After the 2018 tsunami devastated the coast of Banten, many fishing families lost their livelihoods. However, the women in this community did not remain silent. Through business training, the fishermen’s wives were able to empower themselves to process seafood into high-value products to rebuild the economy of their families and communities.

Senior General Manager of Social Responsibility at Telkom, Hery Susanto, stated, “Through this empowerment program, Telkom strives to encourage real change in the lives of the fishermen’s wives affected by the tsunami. They are not only able to recover economically but also become more independent and empowered in managing businesses based on marine products. This activity not only revitalizes the local economy but also improves the overall welfare of their families.”

This training activity is organized as a form of Telkom’s commitment to promoting the improvement of the quality of life of the community. This is in line with the 9th Sustainable Development Goal, which is to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and develop new skills. It is hoped that after participating in this training activity, the community will be more independent and confident in entering the global market.