Jembrana, 30 August 2019. Thousands of Indonesian fishermen in various regions are using the Laut Nusantara app and are benefitting from it. The app has nearly 15,000 users among fishermen, who were introduced to the app and directly received a device from PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) or who uploaded the app by themselves. XL Axiata also keeps improving and optimizing the app by developing new features that can support the fishermen.
The Laut Nusantara app is among innovative digital services displayed at the “Inovasi Bahari” event initiated by The Institute for Marine Research and Observation (BROL) at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry in Perancak village, Jembrana regency, Bali. The event was attended by expert staff for ecology and marine resources at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry DR. Aryo Hanggono, DEA, Head of Marine and Fisheries Research Center (BRSDMKP) Prof. Ir. Sjarief Widjaja, Ph.D FRINA, Head of Marine Research Center Drs. Riyanto Basuki, M.Si, and Jembrana Regent I Putu Artha SE, MM. Director of Technology Yessie D. Yosetya and East Region Group Head Mochamad Imam Mualim also attended the event to represent XL Axiata.
XL Axiata Director of Technology Yessie D Yosetya said, “Laut Nusantara grows more attractive among Indonesian fishermen. From our system, we can detect its regular use by fishermen in many regions across Indonesia where we have not introduced the app directly. This is very encouraging as we and the BROL developed the app to increase the productivity of Indonesian fishermen. It also shows that the fishermen have grown more aware of the role of digital technology to increase their productivity.”
Prof. Ir. Sjarief Widjaja, Ph. D, FRINA added, "The productivity of fishermen who use the Laut Nusantara app has increased significantly. The average catch is now doubled compared to when they haven't used the application. This is not surprising because by using the Laut Nusantara application, fishermen can find the exact location of fish. The fish location feature is supported by data and technology from the BROL. The data is based on up-to-date satellite images so it is very effective in detecting fish."
Besides a feature that can show fish locations, fishermen who use the Laut Nusantara application also fully utilize the marine safety guidelines. The guidelines comprise weather forecast, especially related to wind speed and direction as well as tide heights. The data also include the location so that before the fishermen set sail, they can calculate safety risks at sea.
To maximize the benefits of the Laut Nusantara application, XL Axiata continues adding new features that fishermen need. The latest feature is navigation to fishing spots. The feature acts as a guide that provides safe routes to fish locations by considering, among other things, reefs location and other obstacles. The feature will be very useful for fishermen who catch fish at night, especially because not all reefs or small islands have a lighthouse.
By using the feature, fishermen can calculate the distance before setting sail, thus can also calculate fuel need. Fuel supply is of utmost importance when we are in the middle of the ocean. Besides supporting fishing activities, fuel is also needed for safety reasons as the weather changes frequently in the ocean. An adequate fuel supply will also allow fishermen to avoid bad weather conditions that can threaten their life.
The next new feature is emergency call. It allows fishermen to send emergency information or the SOS signal to the Laut Nusantara admin through its chat feature. The Laut Nusantara team will then convey the information to sea safety authorities as well as other fishermen who are near the location. Other features include frequently asked questions about Laut Nusantara application, satellite view and fishermen’s reviews on fish location data accuracy.
In line with the event in Bali, XL Axiata also introduced the Laut Nusantara app to fishermen in three villages (Yeh Kuning village, Melaya district and Perancak village) in Jembrana regency, Bali. This time, XL Axiata was supported by Profesional Telekomunikasi Bersama (Protelindo) to distribute 150 smartphones to the fishermen. The smartphones were bundled with AXIS SIM card, 1GB of data and free call for Axis and XL users. Both parties have agreed on supporting fishermen’s productivity in various areas in Indonesia.
XL Axiata first launched the Laut Nusantara app on 29 August 2018. XL Axiata has until today held introduced the app to fishermen in 19 areas across Indonesia. XL Axiata expects that more than 20,000 fishermen use the app by the end of the year. The 19 areas are Nunukan, Muara Gembong Bekasi, Serang, Pandeglang, Indramayu, Kenjeran and Greges in Surabaya, Banyuwangi, Situbondo, Sendang Biru in Malang, Prigi in Trenggalek, Perancak and Pekutatan in Jembrana Bali, Central Lombok, Pengambengan, Sanur, Gianyar, Pangandaran and Cilincing Jakarta.
The program socialization will continue throughout 2019. Besides coming to each location of fishermen centers, XL Axiata will also use YouTube to share a tutorial video on how to use the Laut Nusantara app. Thus, fishermen can independently access the app without having to wait for a face-to-face public consultation.