Jakarta. The government recently unveiled its plans to build a large-capacity ice factory in the Papua regency of Biak Numfor in a move to support direct fisheries exports.

Effendi Igirisa, the head of Biak Numfor's fishery agency, said that the ice factory could help Papuan fishermen preserve the quality of what they had caught.

According to Effendi,  the regency's existing ice factories are of a smaller capacity and mainly serve traditional fishermen. The government is currently conducting location surveys for the ice factory. Effendi said he hoped that the government could realize the factory plans this year or in 2025.

“The Fisheries Ministry has set some requirements for the large-scale ice factory to happen. The Biak Numfor regency must have a parcel of certified land. … The regional government already has a location where we can build the factory,” Effendi said over the weekend, as reported by news agency Antara.

Biak Numfor’s fishermen need between 500 to 1,000 blocks of ice every day. This is to meet the huge demand for fish from local consumers. Some of the ice also goes into preserving the quality of the fish to be exported to Japan, according to Effendi.