Diesel Shortage Strangles Mamuju Fishermen: Rp 12,000 per Liter, Must Wait Four Days

MAMUJU, KOMPAS.com - A scarcity of diesel fuel is crippling fishermen at Kasiwa Harbor, Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi.

This situation forces fishermen to buy diesel from resellers at prices reaching Rp 12,000 per liter.

One local fisherman, Maskur (53), revealed that the difficulty in obtaining subsidized diesel at gas stations has made fishermen entirely dependent on reseller stocks.

Meanwhile, the diesel price at gas stations is around Rp 6,800 per liter.

"Diesel from resellers is hard to get — it takes two to three days before they can supply. The price has increased to Rp 12,000 per liter from Rp 10,000 previously. At the gas stations, it’s very difficult to find," Maskur said at Kasiwa Harbor, Mamuju, on Saturday (9/19/2026).

Maskur explained that he needs at least 20 liters of diesel for each fishing trip.

The rising fuel prices are directly cutting into the fishermen’s daily income, especially since reseller supplies are limited.

Besides fuel, fishermen’s activities have worsened due to a clean water crisis caused by PDAM and rolling blackouts conducted by PLN.

This has led to a shortage of ice, crucial for fishermen to preserve the quality of their catch at sea.

This increasingly challenging situation is hitting the local fishermen’s economy hard.

Maskur, who supports his wife and five children, hopes for swift action from local government and relevant agencies.

"We hope the government will immediately stabilize both prices and supply so fishermen can continue their work," Maskur said.