Efficient and Impactful: SDGs Center UNDIP and Pelindo Evaluate the Use of Fisheries Technology in Three Coastal Villages of Demak

Demak, 26 June 2025 — The SDGs Center – Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) of Universitas Diponegoro and PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero), or Pelindo, conducted a monitoring and evaluation activity on the use of fisheries technology assistance provided to three coastal villages in Bonang Subdistrict, Demak Regency: Morodemak, Purworejo, and Margolinduk. This technological assistance is part of Pelindo’s Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) Program implemented through the SDGs Center LPPM Universitas Diponegoro.

Evaluation results show that the technology assistance has had a tangible impact on the coastal communities. One of the most beneficial technologies is the GPS Fish Finder. This tool has been actively used by local fishers and has proven highly effective in locating fish. Fishers no longer get lost at sea or waste excessive fuel. Additionally, the GPS’s location-marking feature enables them to save productive catch points, allowing easier returns to those locations in the future. As a result, fishing efficiency has significantly improved.

On the downstream side, fish processing equipment has also been optimally utilized, particularly by fish product processing groups. A variety of products—such as squid crackers, crab rice crackers, fish pempek, fish dim sum, and squid sambal—are now being produced using the distributed equipment. These tools not only accelerate the production process but also increase the capacity and quality of the products, thereby opening up greater opportunities for communities to access broader markets.

Equally important, fish waste processing equipment has been used to repurpose previously unused small fish. This waste is now processed into fish meal, which holds economic value as livestock feed additive. The fish meal product has even started to be marketed and directly used by chicken farmers in the local villages.

This monitoring and evaluation activity proves that an integrative upstream-to-downstream approach in the fisheries sector can provide real solutions for strengthening coastal economies. The collaboration between PT Pelindo, the SDGs Center LPPM Universitas Diponegoro, and village communities serves as evidence that appropriate technology can be a powerful driver of meaningful change, aligned with the goals of sustainable development.