The ambitious efforts of the Indonesian Central Government to accelerate the development of ports in each region serve a clear purpose. As known, North Sulawesi consists of numerous islands whose livelihoods heavily rely on the fishing sector. The specialized port in the city of Bitung plays a vital role in the global economic axis. This port is a Samudera Fishery Port (PPS) and its significance in the global economic axis is attributed to its remarkable fish catch production, which amounted to 52,086 tons in November 2022. The estimated daily turnover at the Samudera Fishery Port Bitung reaches IDR 70 billion.
The fish caught at the PPS Bitung in North Sulawesi are exported to various countries such as Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Canada, and the United States. It's important to note that fishery ports are categorized into four types: Fish Landing Ports, Coastal Fishery Ports, Archipelagic Fishery Ports, and Samudera Fishery Ports.
According to the facilities standard for Class A Samudera Fishery Ports like the one in Bitung, North Sulawesi, the port can accommodate at least 100 fishing vessels or the equivalent of 6,000 Gross Tonnage (GT). The port's position in the waters of Lembeh Strait provides proximity to Sulawesi Sea, Moluccan Sea, Tomini Gulf, and the Pacific Ocean. The two most sought-after fish varieties in Indonesia and also by some export destinations are tuna and skipjack. As stated by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the catch production by PPS Bitung in North Sulawesi in 2019 amounted to 28.89 thousand tons. With such an impressive total weight of fish caught, the production value reached IDR 1.197 trillion. In the following year, there was a remarkable increase, with the fish catch reaching 53.46 thousand tons, and the production value amounted to IDR 1.189 trillion. The top three most caught species at PPS Bitung are skipjack, tuna, and mackerel tuna. Additionally, there are also pelagic fish, demersal fish, squid, and other fish species.
