BANGKA – PT TIMAH Tbk is supporting the Tambat Labuh Fishermen Group of Matras Beach in organizing the Matras Beach Fishing Competition as an effort to promote tourism in Bangka Regency.
The fishing competition will take place at the seawall area of Matras Beach on Sunday, October 12. Hundreds of anglers are expected to participate in this event.
Okrodi (49), Chairman of the Tambat Labuh Fishermen Group of Matras Beach, said this is the second time the fishing competition is being held and it has received an enthusiastic response from the public.
He expressed his appreciation for PT Timah’s support, which has been the main sponsor of the competition for two consecutive years. This year, the number of participants has increased compared to last year.
“Alhamdulillah, this is the second year our fisherman group has organized the fishing competition at Matras Beach. We’re very grateful that PT TIMAH has always been our main sponsor for this event,” he said.
Besides being a recreational event, the fishing competition is also a continuation of a fish aggregating device (rumpon) installation program previously carried out in collaboration with PT Timah. These rumpons were placed around the seawall and further offshore to create ideal fishing spots for anglers and local fishermen.
“This competition is also part of the rumpon installation program we carried out with PT Timah in the seawall area we’ve prepared for this event. We’ve also deployed rumpons offshore to serve as fishing points for fishermen,” Okrodi added.
He noted that the seawall infrastructure built by the government around Matras Beach has had a positive impact on marine tourism development.
“We’re utilizing the potential of Matras Beach. The seawall, built by the government, has small coral areas that have become favorite fishing spots for anglers. So we thought this could be an added attraction to draw more visitors to Matras Beach,” he said.
Okrodi was surprised by the strong public enthusiasm for the competition. In the first year, more than 200 people registered, though only 150 could be accommodated. In the second year, even after expanding the participant quota to 250, the number of interested participants remained high. Moreover, participants came not only from Bangka Regency but also from other areas across the Bangka Belitung Province.
He hopes this event can become an annual agenda with continued support from various stakeholders.
“We’re very thankful to PT Timah, which consistently supports the activities of coastal communities. We really need collaborations like this so that government and corporate programs can align with the actual needs of the coastal population,” he concluded. (*)
