North Maluku has resumed fish exports after nearly two decades, with the first shipment of baked fish leaving the province earlier this week.

Ternate Customs and Excise office head Musafak said the fish shipment marked an achievement for the province after it had stopped exporting the commodity about 17 years ago.

“Over the past year, the custom and excise office has coordinated with Bank Indonesia’s office in North Maluku, the provincial fishery agency and provincial quarantine body [to prepare the export],” Musafak explained on Tuesday at a ceremony for the resumption of shipments at Tobelo Port in Halmahera Utara.

In the first shipment, North Maluku exported 11,046 kilograms of baked fish valued at US$34,194 to Japan.

“The exports are under the supervision of the customs and excise office and use online services offered by the office,” Musafak said, as reported by kompas.com.

He expressed his hope that the resumption of exports would boost the local economy and improve social welfare in the area. (bbn)