Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Danu Ali, the head of the Cilincing Fishers Community in North Jakarta, said fishing catches in the area are down 70 percent following the development of embankment and port by PT Karya Citra Nusantara (KCN).
"Fishers have to take longer routes, which also drives fuel consumption. The construction process has significantly reduced the catch," Danu said during a press conference at PT KCN, Cilincing, North Jakarta, on Friday, September 12, 2025.
But Danu stressed that his community opt to prioritize dialogue instead of taking to the streets and protesting. The dialogues, he said, are assisted by the Marine, Fisheries, and Food Security Office.
Danu also responded to a viral video on social media claiming that Cilincing fishers are losing their fishing grounds due to KCN's embankment. According to him, the poster of said video was not part of his community. "(The poster) is not part of the fisher community, but an angler. We consider them a tourist," he said.
During a meeting with KCN, Danu mentioned that the fishers had reported their losses, including additional fuel costs and damage to fishing equipment. Additionally, coastal fishers who rely on fixed fishing traps are most affected because they cannot relocate when water quality deteriorates. "If the water is polluted, we just have to accept it. We can already predict the catch (will decrease)," he said.
According to Danu, the issues faced by Cilincing fishers are not solely caused by the concrete embankment project, but also by pollution from industrial and household waste that flows into the sea. "The propellers are damaged, hit by garbage, mining, and all kinds of waste. We all have to acknowledge that," he said.
According to Danu, the fishers existed long before the KCN port was established. Therefore, he requested that the solution to the port construction fully consider the sustainability of the fisher community's livelihood.
Previously, the Managing Director of PT KCN, Widodo Setiadi, explained that the long wall, extending up to 3 kilometers from the coastline, is not a concrete embankment but part of a port construction.
"It can be said that this project (port) is only 70 percent complete. There is pier 1 on the left, pier 2 in the middle, which will only be completed in 2025, and pier 3, which has gone viral as a concrete embankment," Widodo said in a press conference at PT KCN, Cilincing, North Jakarta,, on Friday, September 12, 2025. "It is apparent that it's part of a port construction."
Widodo stated that PT KCN will take into account the economic losses experienced by fishers due to the port project. He could not confirm the compensation that would be given to the Cilincing fishers.