Jakarta, Oct. 22 -- Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries will distribute 4,582 modern fishing vessels free of charge to traditional fishers under a $13 billion national fleet modernization program, officials said Wednesday.

The initiative aims to phase out legacy wooden boats, boost fishers' purchasing power, and curb post-harvest losses through built-in cold storage systems across the fleet.

"All fishing vessels under this modernization initiative, funded through various financing schemes, will be granted entirely free of charge to fishers," Director of Fishing Vessels and Equipment Mochamad Idnillah said.

Around 91 percent of Indonesia's current fishing fleet relies on wooden craft, which lack proper insulation and re...