‘When you return home, you must be useful’. That sentence is not just a motto for Abu Wasis, but a life principle that shapes the direction of his business. After years of being an octopus trader taken from Natuna waters to trying to trade cattle in Jakarta, he finally changed course in 2014.
“I saw in the market, dori was so sought after, even though we have patin which is no less good. That’s when I realized, we have to play a role,” recalled Wasis, the owner of CV Wahana. With the spirit of returning to his roots, he returned to Tulungagung-East Java (Jatim), and chose to build a patin fillet (boneless meat) industry. Patin fillet, which is popularly known as ‘dori’ in the community, is not only a business, but a way to bring benefits to many people.
Without large capital, Abu Wasis still dared to establish CV Wahana at the Nusantara Fisheries Port (PPN) Prigi, Trenggalek-Jatim. “I set up the factory not because I have money, but because I have the desire,” he said. If you want to be useful, he continued, you have to involve many people.
He chose catfish for a reason. “The potential is extraordinary. In Vietnam, they can produce a lot and overflow, why can’t we? Fillet products are chosen because they have a long shelf life, are practical for the processing industry, and have a stable market,” Wasis explained to TROBOS Aqua (10/6).
Every day, around 15 tons of live catfish enter the CV Wahana factory. “Just living them already has a lot of problems, let alone dead ones,” he joked, explaining why he only accepts live fish. The production process is carried out to high standards, starting from slaughtering (blading), filleting, skinning (skinless), trimming, and grading.
