Indonesian ministry to boost fish consumption

The Indonesia Industry Ministry will continue to encourage and increase fish consumption in various regions to raise domestic demand for fish, in an effort to advance the maritime and fisheries sector.

“We will boost fish consumption, apart from exports, through developing traditional fish industry, which would increase the demand in the fishery sector at home,” Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto said.

The minister made the remarks in his address to the working meeting of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) on fisheries affairs in Jakarta on Monday.

Hartarto said that his ministry would also encourage fish consumption on a national scale.

Slamet Soebjakto, Director General of Fisheries of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said his ministry wanted to increase the peoples sources of protein intake through increasing their fish consumption.

It was earlier reported that the Indonesian government had been giving priority to increase the fisheries production by relaxing regulations for fishermen and local industries. The move is meant to support these sustainable industries in the development of the national fisheries sector and maintain seafood sovereignty.

As part of the efforts to boost fish production, the government, though the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), had earlier built 15 Integrated Fisheries and Marine Resource Development Centers (SKPT) in various regions in the country. The aim of the SKPT is to boost fishery exports directly from the center without the need to go to Jakarta.

The SKPT aims to maintain food resilience, increase fish consumption, foreign exchange earnings through exports, and raise the income of the people.

Five of the SKPT are located in Simeullue (Aceh), Natuna (Riau Islands), Tahuna (North Sulawesi), Saumlaki (Maluku) and Merauke (Papua).

Ten others are also built in Mentawai Island (West Sumatera), Nunukan (North Kalimantan), Talaud (North Sulawesi), Morotai (North Maluku), Biak-Numfor (West Papua), Sarmi (Papua), Mimika (Papua), Tual (Maluku), Rote Ndao (East Nusa Tenggara/NTT), and Maluku Barat Daya (Maluku).