Fish exports up, let’s go fishing

29 Jun 2021
Exports of maritime and fishery products have made the sector enjoy a surplus of US$1.9 billion in January-May 2021 period and eventually improved the country’s trade balance.
 
Maritime and Fishery Ministry director general for competitiveness strengthening Artati Widiarti recently said she believes the maritime and fishery sector could leverage national economy during the pandemic.
 
The ministry will communicate with Indonesian embassies and trade representatives overseas to help connect domestic producers with foreign buyers.
 
Artati added the government will also ensure trade barriers and issues can be minimized and anticipated through intensive communication with foreign markets, particularly China and US.
 
One of the important steps was to ensure Indonesian business players comply with US Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP).
 
“Particularly during this pandemic, we intensify virtual business matching and product promotion with the supports from Indonesian representatives abroad,” she said in a statement quoted in the media.
 
Among the top exported fishery products are prawns that contributed $865.9 million or about 41 percent of total fishery export, tuna that contributed $269.5 million or 12.7 percent of total export and squid which contributed $223.6 million or 10.6 percent of total export.
 
In addition, crab contributed $191.5 million or 9.1 percent of total fishery export, seaweed contributed $115.1 million or 5.4 percent and layur (largehead hairtail) that contributed $38 million or 1.8 percent.
 
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s main destinations of its fishery products are China, US and ASEAN countries.
 
By MadeinIndonesia.com