Jakarta, Nov 28 (Antara) - The government is planning to issue a regulation on the tuna catch quota in an attempt to avoid overexploitation and maintain the sustainability of tuna resources in the country.
The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) is gathering inputs from various sides to formulate the regulation, which is expected to help improve the welfare of fishermen and national fish catch business players.
"Tuna is caught at sea and is classified as a natural resource similar to minerals. Thus, a regulation is required for the sustainable exploitation of tuna resources," KKP Secretary General Rifky Effendi Hardijanto had noted in a written statement in Jakarta on Tuesday (Nov 21).
The people need a regulation on the quota of tuna catch, so that the exploitation of resources at sea would be sustainable and have a positive economic impact on the fishermen.
However, the regulation on the quota, which is currently under process at the KKP, should focus on offering optimal benefits to the people and be aligned with the nation's interests.
"The exploitation of tuna should be aimed at improving the welfare of Indonesian people," Herman Khaeron, the deputy chairman of Commission VII of the House of Representatives, noted in Jakarta on Thursday.
Indonesia's success in managing its tuna resources will depend not only on abiding by the international conventions but also on its independence, resilience, and food sovereignty.
Owing to the high global market demand for tuna and the migratory nature of the fish species, which can swim to waters far away, the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) is required to manage the tuna catch globally.
Hence, members of the RFMO, during its annual sessions, agreed to the international regulations governing tuna fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone and the high seas.
"We may join the international conventions, but we must have strong and clear internal and external regulations," Khaeron, who is a politician of the country's Democratic Party, noted.
According to Secretary General Rifky Effendi Hardijanto, regulations related to the tuna fishing quota will improve the welfare of the nation's fishery business players. The regulation on the tuna catch quota is needed, so that all communities can exploit and gain from the economic impacts of the commodity in a sustainable manner.
Hardijanto reminded that the value of tuna exports is ranked third on the list of Indonesia's export commodities.
Indonesia has supplied over 16 percent of the total tuna production globally. Its average production of tuna, skipjack, and tunny fish reaches 1.1 million tons per annum. In 2013, for instance, Indonesia had contributed significantly to the global market by exporting some 209,410 tons of tuna worth US$768.4 million.
Head of the KKP Fishery Research Center Toni Ruchimat noted that although tuna fishing is limited, with a quota set by RFMO on grounds of sustainability, the restriction in the form of a quota will also offer some benefits to Indonesia.
Moreover, if not registered as a member of RFMO, a country will not be allowed to export its fishery products to other nations. In addition, the country concerned can only catch fish in its own territorial waters. If it catches tuna in the open seas, its fishing activity will be viewed as being illegal.
To this end, Ruchimat has suggested Indonesia to have its own ministerial regulation after taking into account the sovereignty of the state and the resolution of the RFMO.
Fisheries observer Abdul Halim expressed hope that while formulating the regulation on the fishing quota, the government should prioritize the interests of traditional fishermen.
"With regard to the management of tuna in Indonesia, it is important to differentiate the rights and obligations of traditional fishermen from those of fishermen operating with over 10-GT (gross tonnage) vessels," Halim said in Jakarta on Thursday.
With a different approach, the state, in this case the KKP, can also facilitate efforts to improve the welfare of traditional fishermen, such as by providing easy permits to them to go fishing.
Halim, who is also the executive director of the Center for Maritime Studies for Humanities, noted that the impact of a tuna quota rule will not significantly affect the consumers, as they will focus more on the price and good-quality fish products.
Additionally, Halim said, the KKP should use the results of the stock assessment of fishery resources while taking into account the allocation of permitted quantity of fish catch.
Based on the allowed fish catch quota in each fishery management area, the KKP can adjust the number of fishing vessels allowed to go fishing.
In the meantime, the Indonesian Fishermen Association (HNSI) for East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has supported the government's plan to issue a regulation on the tuna fishing quota in Indonesia.
"We have discussed about the matter before the government plans to issue such a regulation. However, we believe that a ban should be imposed on fishing young tuna and skipjacks," HNSI Secretary for NTT Wham Nurdin noted in Kupang, NTT, on Thursday.
According to HNSI, regulations aim to preserve the tuna population globally. The tuna population is declining, especially in Indonesia.
"The population of tuna fish is declining due to the operation of seiners using nets, which also catch young fish," he said.
Halim explained that the tuna catch in Indonesia in 2015 had reached 592 thousand tons, and it increased to 600 thousand in 2016.
Official data of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations indicated that in 2014, some 6.8 million metric tons of tuna and its other species were caught across the world.
Of the various species 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 RFMO.
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/o001)EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 28-11-2017 15:03:0 |
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