Jakarta, May 23 (Antara) - Indonesia, one of the world's biggest tuna producers and exporters, is committed to utilizing its tuna resources in a sustainable manner, and the country is hoping fairness is applied while catching tuna at high seas.
One of the high seas rich in tuna resources is the Indian Ocean where Indonesia has long stretches of adjacent coastal areas.
However, among countries in the Indian Ocean Rim having the right to exploit tuna resources, Indonesia has received a smaller tuna catching quota.
Hence, the Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) has questioned the fair principle applied in the allocation of quota for tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean.
So far, the country, with long beaches in the ocean region, is actually getting a lesser quota. This fact was highlighted by KKP Minister Susi Pudjiastuti during the 21st Indian Ocean Tuna Commission meeting (IOTC) held in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Monday (May 22).
"Many small countries in the Indian Ocean waters also actually sell tuna fishing quotas to other countries," Pudjiastuti remarked.
The minister pointed out that the Indian Ocean is rich in various marine products and diverse types of fish, one of them being tuna.
Several countries not having coastal areas in the Indian Ocean have fishing rights since the Indian Ocean is a free water body.
"To this end, a clear rule of fairness related to the quota of tuna fishing rules in the Indian Ocean region should exist," she emphasized.
Pudjiastuti questioned the concession, or granting of rights to a country, with lengthy beaches in the Indian Ocean, such as Indonesia.
"Even Taiwan actually has more quota than Indonesia has," she noted.
The international forum, attended by 33 member countries of the IOTC, also discussed the management of tuna fish stocks and the quota of tuna fishing available in the waters of the Indian Ocean.
In addition to the issue of tuna fishing quotas, the forum also discussed matters related to the Indonesian fishing crew working in tuna fishing vessels in several countries, such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Currently, tuna fishing in the Indonesian waters has increased. Indonesia produces over one million tons of tuna yearly and contributes 16 percent to the global tuna exports.
"Tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean waters in parts of Indonesia is more productive than the ocean's waters in parts of Africa," she said.
The KKP will continue to carry out sustainable tuna fish development and exploitation, both in the upstream and downstream sectors, as Indonesia is facing new challenges in preserving its abundant maritime wealth, tuna production in particular.
Issues related to tuna were also discussed during the Second Bali Tuna Conference and the 5th International Coastal Tuna Business Forum (ICTBF-5) in Kuta, Badung District, Bali, in May last year.
"Indonesia made a significant contribution to the global tuna exports by exporting about 209,410 tons of tuna worth US$768.4 million in 2013," then coordinating minister for maritime affairs Rizal Ramli stated during the Second Bali Tuna Conference and ICTBF-5.
In advancing its tuna industry, Indonesia has, over the past three 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. 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.
The KKP has been consistent in conserving tuna habitat, thus needing raft 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 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 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.
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. ***1***
(A014/INE)
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(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 23-05-2017 12:32 |
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