RI targets a bigger fishing catch in 2010

With this year’s target unlikely to be met, the government has set a less aggressive growth target of 6.9 percent for fish production in 2010 to reach 10.7 million tons.

Previous Maritime and Fishery Affairs Minister Freddy Numberi said earlier this year the ministry aimed to increase fishery production to 12.78 million tons, a significant jump from last year’s 8.7 million tons. Data from the ministry shows however that production is predicted to only rise to 10 million tons.

On Tuesday, the Ministry’s secretary-general Syamsul Maarif said that while growth would be modest next year, the fisheries sector would still benefit from growing domestic consumption, and a planned financing scheme for industry players.

Domestic fish consumption is forecast at around 30.47 kilograms per capita per year by the end of 2010.

This year’s domestic consumption has reached 30 kilograms per capita per year, up from last year’s 28.57 kilograms per capita.

Syamsul also said that the ministry was focusing on getting 20 percent of the budget allocated for the government’s micro loan program (KUR) for the fisheries sector.

“We are working on ways to make sure that the fisheries sector can absorb at least Rp 4 trillion [US$408 million] out of the allocated Rp 20 trillion for the KUR,” he added.

According to him, up until now, less than 5 percent of the allocated KUR budget had gone to the fisheries sector.

Syamsul acknowledged that the government’s KUR program was still seeing many obstacles in its implementation, with most fishermen not being able to meet the banks’ requirements for collateral and high interest.

“But the government has decreased the [bank] interest from 16 percent to 14 percent [a year], and we have certain KUR mechanisms [for the fisheries sector] so that our fishermen will have better access to the financing scheme,” he said without elaborating on the mechanisms to be implemented.

Syamsul also said that the ministry would provide funding for social support for poor fishermen.

“The funding will be included in our funding for the fishermen empowerment program. We will start with Rp 100 billion next year,” he said.

From about 16 million fishermen throughout the country, 32 percent, or around 5 million of the total, fall into the official category of being poor, since they are assessed as having an average income less than the minimum regional wage.

The fisheries sector is also relying on modest fuel prices to improve its operations. The sector consumes almost 2 million kiloliters of fuel for fishing boats per year.

Throughout this year, Syamsul said, state oil and gas company PT Pertamina had subsidized 1.2 million kiloliters of fuel for the country’s fishermen.

“To boost fishermen’s productivity in 2010, we will request a subsidized fuel quota of 2.4 million kiloliters from Pertamina,” Syamsul said.
The ministry requested a fuel quota of 2.5 kiloliters for 2009. (adh)