Sabtu, 07 Februari 2015

GOVT TO TURN NATUNA INTO FISH PRODUCTION CENTER

 By Andi Abdussalam
          Jakarta, Feb 8 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is resolved to turn Natuna  --an island in Riau Islands Province which is rich in oil deposit and keeps the world's largest gas reserves-- into an integrated fish production and processing center.
         Located some 1,250 km north of Jakarta, Natuna is so far known as an island which has a potential of US$628.7 billion worth of gas reserves amounting to 222 trillion cubic feet that could be exploited in 30 years.
         Its position in the northern part of the country's waters, which are rich in fishery resources but prone to illegal fishing, makes the government to think of developing the fish processing and production center in the area.
         Indonesia's maritime potential consists of water areas which account for two-third of the country's land with a coastline of 95,181 km or the second longest in the world.
         Its fisheries export is the fifth largest among the ASEAN countries with a non-tax national income of Rp227 billion in 2013.
         Indonesia has the widest sea territory in Asia and the second longest coasts in the world.
         Indonesian waters are the habitat of varieties of fish of high commercial value such as tuna. Around 30 percent of the world's tuna fish production comes from Indonesia.
         "However, the sea natural wealth had not made Indonesia prosper as a maritime country," Marine and Fishery Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said.
         "Indonesia should have become an advanced country because of its sea natural resources," she said.
         The government hopes the development of the fish processing center in the Natuna area would help maximally utilize the country's fishery resources and prevent fish poaching by foreign vessels.
         The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) plans to develop a fishery center worth around Rp200-Rp300 billion around Natuna as part of efforts to accelerate maritime growth in the district.
         "Natuna will be developed into an integrated fish processing center," Minister Susi Pujiastuti said in Batam on Saturday.

 
         She added that the establishment of an integrated fishery processing center will enable Natuna to attract domestic and overseas buyers to come to the island to purchase the products.
         As foreign fishermen have often been seen engaging in fish poaching in the waters of Natuna, the government wants to transform it into a fishery center.
         Fish products from Indonesia account for 30 percent of the world supplies.
         However, Indonesia is only the fifth largest exporter of fishery products in the world  and that the country did not prosper from its abundant sea natural wealth, because of rampant illegal fishing,  Minister Susi told  participants of a seminar on European Union (EU) Hygiene Regulations for Fisheries Product Imported to EU in Bali Tuesday night. 
    Illegal, unreported fishing and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) has threatened the sea strategic role of Indonesia, Susi said.

         Minister Susi Pujiastuti therefore emphasized that she was determined to bring to order maritime management and exploitation in Indonesia.    
    The minister made the statement at a Mass Media Convention held in the framework of observing National Press Day 2015 in Batam, Riau Islands province, on Saturday.

         Speaking on the subject "Strengthening the Nation's Maritime Economy," the minister said she would never restrain efforts to maintain the sovereignty of the state and nation, particularly in the maritime sector.
         Among steps she is taking to maintain the sovereignty of the state and nation includes the issuance of ministerial decrees as follow ups to laws and other regulations that have been in place since before.
         The ministerial decrees include the marine affairs and fisheries ministerial decree number 58/2014 on the moratorium of issuing licenses to foreign vessels, and number 57/2014 on the banning of transshipment of fishery products to be dispatched abroad.
         Besides these, there is also the ministerial decree number 01/2015 that bans catching of crabs, spawning lobsters and 'rajungan' (a species of crab) and decision number 02/2015 that bans the use of drag trawlers.
         Rampant illegal fishing has reduced fish populations in some Indonesian waters resulting in a decline in fish production of  traditional fishermen, Susi said.
         With the development of a fish processing center in Natuna, the minister stated, foreign vessels will no longer be able to get away with exploiting the fish stock there.
        "I do not want to see foreign vessels in Indonesian waters anymore. Their presence there constitutes a moral hazard," Pujiastuti remarked.
         At the same occasion, Governor of Riau Islands province Muhammad Sani hailed the KKP's plan to develop Natuna as a fish production center in Indonesia.
        "To meet our goals, there must be a fishery production center there," Sani emphasized.
         Furthermore, the fishery industry in Natuna will need a special port and cold storage unit to increase the quality of the fish catch in the border areas.
        The governor affirmed that the development of the Natuna fish processing center will soon be realized.
        In addition, the regional government is ready to support the central government's plan for the sake of improving the prosperity of the people.
         Earlier, Head of the Regional Development Planning Board Hardinansah had expressed hope that the government would turn Natuna district, which is located in the waters of the China Sea, into a fish catching center. A fish processing center could be established in Batam or Bintan Island, whose location is more strategic.
        In the meantime, in line with the government's plan to develop fish processing centers, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) will build 1,000 fish processing units across the country by the end of 2019.
      "By 2019, Kadin will set up 400 fish processing units, which will take the total number of units in the country to 1,000," Kadin's deputy chairman for the marine and fisheries sector Yugi Prayanto noted in a written statement on Monday (Feb. 2)
  He explained that building small-scale fish processing units with modest cold storage facilities is estimated to cost Rp20 to Rp30 billion, while setting up large-scale ones with advanced technology is expected to cost around Rp500 billion.***1***

(T.A014/f001)



(T.A014/A/A. Abdussalam/F. Assegaf) 08-02-2015 08:09:

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