Jakarta. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is partnering with Indonesia’s Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry to train Indonesian workers for employment in Japan’s fishery industry.

Under this program, trained workers will gain hands-on experience in Japan and are expected to share their knowledge and skills with their compatriots upon returning, contributing to the development of Indonesia’s fishery sector.

According to Japan’s immigration office, the country’s fishery sector employed 3,488 foreign workers as of 2024, with Indonesians making up the majority at 2,888. Japan has been facing a significant decline in its fishery workforce, dropping from approximately 238,000 workers in 2003 to 123,000 in 2022.

To address this shortage, the Japanese government has been seeking to recruit 17,000 trained workers for the fishery sector since last year. Indonesian nationals currently represent the largest group of foreign workers employed on Japanese fishing vessels.

The partnership between JICA and the Indonesian ministry will span three years, following the signing of an agreement on Wednesday by JICA Senior Representative Kenji Okamura and the ministry’s Secretary-General, Rudy Heriyanto Adi Nugroho.

According to a statement from JICA, the collaboration aims to strengthen the fishery sectors of both countries through training programs conducted at the ministry’s educational and vocational institutes across Indonesia.

In addition to fishery-specific training, participants will also receive Japanese language instruction as part of the program to help them adapt to their work environment in Japan.