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Ministry calls for diversifying of fish products, relocation of factories
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Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti joins protesting fishermen atop a vehicle in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Jan. 17. (JP/Anton Hermansyah)
T
he Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has encouraged businesspeople to diversify their fishery products and open factories outside Java to resolve the raw material shortage when the cantrang (seine net) ban takes effect.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Director General Sjarief Widjaja said in Jakarta on Wednesday the ministry would facilitate those who wanted to open businesses in several of the ministry’s fishery centers, like Merauke in Papua and Saumlaki in Maluku.
"We call on the industry to lower their capacity [in Java] and shift to new business lines. The government offers them [the opportunity] to open new units in the fishery centers," he said after attending a meeting with representatives of 14 surimi manufacturing firms.
He also said with the current situation, the industry needed to diversify its products, such as frozen seafood, fillet, tuna or fresh fish.
"I think it's time for them to have more than one product. If they only depend on surimi, the species itself can decline very fast," he said.
He added that the ministry would make an agreement on the relocation of fishery businesses. “We will provide ships to transport their products from Merauke to Java. It will solve the market problem,” he added.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) recorded that there were at least 15 surimi companies with factories mostly on Java's northern coast (Pantura) in Central Java.
The factories rely heavily on raw material from fish caught by using cantrang that will soon be banned. (srs/bbn)
