Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries will recruit more than 20,000 crew members to support the operations of 1,582 fishing vessels planned under the government's vessel modernization program.The ministry's Director General of Capture Fisheries, Lotharia Latif, stated that the demand for labor has emerged as the capture fisheries sector transitions toward a more modern and integrated system.”Implementing this program requires approximately 20,000 fishing vessel crew members to operate the fleet and will directly impact the involvement of over 500,000 workers within the broader ecosystem,” he said during a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.Latif noted that the fishing vessel modernization initiative focuses not only on vessel construction but also on preparing a competent workforce to operate the fleet.He underscored that modern fishing vessels require crews with adequate technical skills, ranging from operating eco-friendly fishing gear to managing cold chain systems while still at sea.The ministry recorded that 20,094 crew members are required to operate 1,582 vessels that the government plans to build through 2028.This requirement includes approximately 10,000 personnel for 30-gross-ton (GT) vessels, 9,469 for 200-GT vessels, and 625 for 500-GT vessels.The positions comprise 1,582 captains, 577 fishing masters, 1,582 chief engineers, 4,935 officers, and 11,418 deckhands.He noted that these positions are expected to be filled by graduates of maritime schools and fisheries polytechnics in Indonesia.The ministry has scheduled the crew recruitment phases, beginning with registration from May 4 to June 4, 2026, with selection set to be announced on July 27, 2026.Selected candidates will then undergo training and certification from August 3 to October 30, 2026, before their deployment from November 1 to December 23, 2026.The vessel modernization program involves the construction of 1,582 vessels, consisting of 1,000 30-GT vessels, 557 200-GT vessels, 20 500-GT vessels, and five 500-GT transport ships.The 1,000 30-GT vessels will be integrated into the Red and White Fishing Village program and managed by Red and White Village Cooperatives.Meanwhile, the larger vessels will support offshore fishing operations in collaboration with the state-owned fisheries company, Agrinas Jaladri Nusantara.For the vessel modernization initiative, Indonesia has received support from the British government.During his state visit to London on January 20, 2026, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that the UK supports the building of fishing vessels through the two countries' maritime cooperation.Under this framework, Indonesia and the UK agreed to build 1,582 fishing vessels domestically.