UNAIR NEWS –Mamuju and Majene, West Sulawesi, hit by earthquakes for two consecutive days in mid-January 2021. Casualties need national assistance and moral assistance to get through it.
Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Universitas Airlangga (FPK UNAIR), which is part of the “BAKTI RSTKA for Mamuju and Majene”, started their National Community Service in West Sulawesi. The community service team chaired by Eka Saputra, S.Pi., M.Si. together with the Vice Dean III Dr. Eng. Sapto Andriyono, S.Pi., MT, and Wahyu Isroni, S.Pi., MP, lecturer of the Department of Aquaculture, including three FPK UNAIR students, Muhammad Arief from class of 2018, Ade Chandra and Lalu Aldy Kurnia Aji from class of 2019.
On the second day, Saturday, February 6, 2021, the FPK volunteers held a community service by carrying out “Increasing Added Value of Fishery Products for the Economic Recovery of the Coastal Communities of West Sulawesi Post Disaster”. It was held at the refugee camps of community affected by the disaster, Malunda sub-district, Majene Regency, West Sulawesi.
The implementation of community service facilitated by RSTKA (Ksatria Airlangga Floating Hospital) lasted for approximately 6 hours, from 11.00 WITA to 17.30 WITA. There were approximately 20 people participating.
“This activity provides training on fishery-based products processing as a way to increase consumption of fish as well as a trauma healing activity for residents affected by the Mamuju earthquake, West Sulawesi,” said Eka Saputra, M.Si.
The lecturer of Department of Marine Sciences said that the training could be entertainment in camp. The refugees were very happy with the team’s arrival.
“Alhamdulillah, the people are very enthusiastic, they are happy and they get new knowledge that food often viewed on television can be made in their kitchen,” he concluded.
The refugee community together with the FPK team made processed fishery products such as nuggets, fish crackers, amplang, bone flour, fish skin crackers, fish sticks, and otak-otak. The fish material used is skipjack tuna ( Eutynnus pelamis )
Eka and his team recently learned that many children there do not like to eat fish whole. Therefore, the team’s fish products processing introduction was capable to make the locals see fish differently.
“The fisheries potential in Mamuju is enormous, so it must be utilized and processed by the Mamuju community. Hopefully they will soon get back on their feet and recover from the disaster, “he said. (*)
Author: Dimar Herfano
Editor: Feri Fenoria
