Jakarta, May 20 (Antara) - Indonesia, which produces over one million tons of tuna yearly and contributes 16 percent to the world tuna exports, is determined to preserve this species' habitat and exploit this natural resource in a sustainable manner.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) said it will continue to carry out sustainable tuna fish development and exploitation, both in the upstream and downstream sector.
Director General for Catch Fisheries of the KKP Narmoko Prasmadji said in Denpasar, Bali, on Thursday that sustainable development will be carried out as Indonesia is facing new challenges in preserving its abundant maritime wealth, tuna production in particular.
As one of the world's biggest tuna producing country, Indonesia supplied 16 percent of the total world's tuna production. Tuna contributes significantly to the national fish production.
Therefore, the KKP has focused its attention on urgency of ensuring sustainable management of upstream and downstream tuna fish sector. The KKP also took this issue to the Second Bali Tuna Conference and the 5th International Coastal Tuna Business Forum (ICTBF-5) in Kuta, Badung District, Bali, on Thursday (May 19).
The Kuta business forum on tuna was attended by about 250 regional and international tuna stakeholders from, among others, government institutions, fish catching industries, tuna processing firms, tuna business association, scientists and academicians.
Narmoko Prasmadji cautioned that tuna should be caught keeping in mind issues such as sustainability, traceability (to prevent illegal, unreported, unregulated or IUU fishing), and accountability. The utilization of tuna must be in accordance with accountable fishery management principles.
If these principles are followed, the world will see Indonesia's commitment to maintaining the tuna habitat. "We already have the commitment of the Indonesian government to support resource management for tuna," he stated.
In advancing its tuna industry, Indonesia has, over the past two years, launched sustainable tuna development and quality improvement programs to increase the competitiveness of its tuna fish products.
In support of the sustainability of the fishery sector, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has initiated cooperation between the KKP and processing companies or exporters in Indonesia. They are expected to carry out the program.
After all, the government already has the Indonesian Tuna Fisheries Management Plan, based on the Decision of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister No. 107/2015 regarding the Management Planning of Tuna, Skipjack and Tongkol.
Narmoko said the KKP has been consistent in conserving tuna habitat. It needs to draft a strategy for managing the tuna business from the upstream to downstream areas by building a strong commitment and partnership among all national, regional and international stakeholders.
The FAO data indicated that a third of tuna stocks are currently caught in a non-sustainable way. The remaining 66.7 percent of tuna stocks are caught in a maximal condition.
The tuna stock is based on the same data, especially in the western part of the Indian Ocean, which has also experienced a significant decline of 30 percent over the past several years. The declining stock is generally a result of fish poaching.
Narmoko Prasmadji therefore said that the Indonesian government is promoting tuna fishing based on a quota system to preserve this main fishery export commodity.
In addition to the quota-based fishing regulation, correct fishing techniques and the conservation and management of tuna habitats are also being discussed in the conference.
The tuna conservation efforts are also in line with the market demand that necessitates fulfilling several stringent conditions before the commodity is sold in the international market.
Indonesia itself, according to Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli, contributed 16 percent of the world tuna exports.
"Indonesia made a significant contribution to the world tuna exports by exporting about 209.410 tons of tuna worth US$768.4 million in 2013," the minister said during the Second Bali Tuna Conference and the 5th International Coastal Tuna Business Forum (ICTBF-5) in Kuta, Badung District, Bali, on Thursday.
Rizal said Indonesia is a force to be reckoned with in the world tuna business. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' (FAO's) official data indicated that in 2014, about 6.8 million metric tons of tuna and other tuna species were caught across the world.
Indonesia supplied over 16 percent of the global total tuna production. Its average tuna, skipjack and tongkol production touches 1.1 million tons per annum.
"The economic value of the Indonesian tuna trade is very high and offers a big chance of continuing to be so," Rizal noted.
Director of Fish Resources Management Toni Ruchimat explained meanwhile that of the various types of tuna, the bluefin was the most expensive species due to its high quality.
The quota for this species has been divided into eight member states that are part of the Regional Fisheries Management Organization.
He noted that Indonesia had been assigned an annual catch quota of 750 tons for bluefin tuna.
Besides Indonesia, other countries that have been granted permission to catch bluefin tuna are New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, and the European Union. Each country has a different quota based on its fishing history.
Indonesia has been assigned an annual fishing quota of 5,889 tons for bigeye tuna.
"However, the amount usually does not reach that figure," he revealed.
Tuna is one the most imported food items in the world. As it is useful for health and serves as a main source of protein, global demand for tuna is also increasing. Demand is increasing for the good quality of tuna. Therefore, the tuna industry is also facing a challenge in meeting demand.
Toni explained that some 300-400 thousand tons of tuna were supplied to meet the nation's needs, while the rest was exported to Japan, Europe, and the United States.
In addition to the quotas, the market requires a clear documentation elaborating the origin of tuna, fishing method, fishing area, and name of the boat and company.***3***
(A014/INE/B003)EDITED BY INE(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 20-05-2016 21:55:0 |
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