Jakarta, May 15 (Antara) - Indonesia is launching sustainable tuna
development and quality improvement programs to increase the
competitiveness of its tuna fish products amid increasingly tighter
competition in the global market.
"In
support of the sustainability of the fishery sector, the Sustainable
Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has initiated cooperation between the Marine
Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) and processing companies or
exporters in Indonesia. They are expected to carry out the program,
among others in Benoa, Bali," Fishery Marketing and Processing Director
General at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Saut Hutagalung
said on Thursday.
According to Saud, in the implementation of the program, the SFP
supported the use of researchers to assure the quantity of fish catch
and accurate data entry in the log book of the exporters or ship owners.
He reminded that the tuna fishery industry had a good development
prospect as long as it was developed based on tuna sustainable
processing principles. After all, the international market, particularly
Europe, has required fish imports to put ecolabeling.
"In order to meet the global conditions, Indonesia is expected to
continue facilitating and accelerating the process for meeting the
required standards in the global market, Europe and the United States in
particular," the director general said.
Saut said earlier that the global market's tight competition was
reflected in European Union's demand for ecolabeling on fishery
products. "Fisheries market increasingly tighter with regard to the
environment and sustainability issues," Saut Hutagalung said.
Based on the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) total
Indonesian fishery exports to the European Union area in 2013 were 92.7
thousand tons with a value of US$486.7 million. The BPS noted that tuna
fish has contributed 41.8 percent of the total number.
The SFP on its website http://www.sustainablefish.org, said that
Indonesia is the biggest tuna-producing country in the world,
contributing 15 percent of global tuna production in 2009, followed by
the Philippines, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Spain.
However, in terms of export, Indonesia only contributes about 4 percent
of total global tuna export for fresh, frozen, and canned tuna.
Yellowfin tuna accounts for 29 percent of total commercial tuna
landings in Indonesia, while bigeye tuna accounts for 7 percent. The
fishing grounds for Indonesian tuna fall under two convention areas,
Indian Ocean and Western Central Pacific Ocean.
The Western
Central Pacific Ocean currently supports the largest industrial tuna
fishery in Indonesia, contributing almost 80 percent of total Indonesian
commercial tuna production, while Eastern Indian Ocean contributes 20
percent of total commercial tuna catch from Indonesia.
Main fishing gears for the tuna fishery in Indonesia are longliner,
traditional hook and line, and purse-seiner combined with FADs (fish
aggregation devices).
Tuna products are the second biggest Indonesian fishery product
exports, contributing 15 percent of total export value or about US$
498.6 million in 2011.
The main markets for tuna export from Indonesia are Japan (35 percent),
the United States (20 pct, Thailand (12 pct), European Union countries
(9 pct, and Saudi Arabia (6 pct) in 2012.
To further boost exports, the KKP ministry launched the tuna
improvement program as part of its efforts to develop its sustainable
fishing industry.
"The Ministry of Marine Resources and Fisheries (KKP) has launched a
tuna research program to develop sustainable fisheries," Marines Affairs
and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said recently.
Tuna is considered the most threatened fish variety in Indonesia.
According to Minister Sutardjo, the exploitation of tuna fish in
Indonesia had reached an alarming level and all parties need to
cooperate to stop it.
He stated that the KKP is conducting research on the tuna population,
which included tuna production, genetics, and temperature, depth of
swimming and time of feeding.
The minister disclosed that the research also included observing how
the fish is treated after it is loaded on fishing ships and when it
landed at various fishing ports in Indonesia.
The most important factor in sustainable fishery development is the
fishing ports, where the fish catch lands. Ports with damaged
environment could threaten fish production and biodiversity resources in
their surroundings.
In order to boost tuna development program, Indonesia will host an
international tuna fishery workshop to highlight the fact that several
fishery industries in the world are still interested in Indonesia's
commodity.
"Indonesia will host an international workshop on Tuna fishery in
Jakarta during May 19-20, 2014," the maritime affairs and fisheries
ministry's Fishery marketing and Processing Director General Saut
Hutagalung stated here on Monday.
According to Saut, the ministry will host the seminar in coordination
with the Backward Region Development Ministry in a bid to improve the
economic condition in several rural areas.
He reiterated that many countries consider Indonesia as a potential
country that can supply fishery commodities at a global level.
The international community's interest will be reflected by the
participation of foreign countries in the fishery workshop.
"Moreover, the seminar and workshop will be held in conjunction with
the international tuna conference in Bangkok, Thailand," Saut
added.***2***
(T.A014/S012)
(T.A014/A/BESSR/Suharto) 16-05-2014 00:06 |
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