This Fisher Helped the Advent of Aruna at Ujung Genteng: “We Are Getting More and More Attention!”

“Who wants to be a fisher? Raise your hand up!” We asked that question to the children of Aruna Fishers when visiting the Aruna Hub in Ujung Genteng, West Java, back in early June 2023. Unfortunately, not a single finger swinging up, pointing at the vast sky. During that cloudy daytime, there was only an innocent look with a shy smile. “I want to be in the army,” said a boy wearing his father’s Aruna hat–Kang Karya, a blue swimming crab fisher in Aruna.

Things were still gray back then. However, utilizing Aruna’s connections, Aruna had the chance to meet Kang Karya, one of those first folks who helped the advent of Aruna in Ujung Genteng. “I am also involved in the fishing community in this area, especially blue swimming crab fishers. When I first heard of Aruna, I thought there wouldn’t be anything wrong if I invited them to join. It’s free too, after all,” he said when asked how he encouraged his friends to join Aruna.

Kang Karya personally saw the promising prospects in the fishing industry. It wasn’t merely about work being passed down by his parents, but being a fisher, for Kang Karya, meant harnessing the strong marine potentials of the archipelago. “Ideally, the younger generation must also have the willingness to become a fisher. We can certainly guess that things will be much simpler than they are today. Marine technology will definitely develop even more rapidly, making fishers even more secure. Moreover, the demand for blue swimming crabs is now also high in demand, especially in foreign markets,” he said.

He continued, “Not to mention if there is a company focusing on wild-catch fisheries like Aruna.” For him, Aruna managed to provide tons of benefits for the lives of the fishers in Ujung Genteng. Not only by conducting educational programs about sustainable fisheries and financial literacy, Aruna also helped Aruna Fishers across Indonesia, including those in Ujung Genteng, to independently own boats and environmentally friendly fishing gear. Aruna also helped Aruna Fishers obtain BPJS (healthcare) cards, as well as to manage income savings.

Kang Karya believed that with a fisheries company that genuinely cared for the lives of fishers and coastal communities like Aruna, the younger generations would be more encouraged to focus on optimizing Indonesia’s natural wealth. “I encourage my own children, as well as coastal children in general, to help make use of the potential of our country’s seas. Never think that being a fisherman is another sort of hardship. Inshaallah, everything will work on its own track and everything will get much easier. We are getting more attention, really,” Kang Karya closed and concluded the discussion.