Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, has emphasized that the recently implemented quota-based fishing policy aims to enhance exports and ensure the sustainability of the marine ecosystem.
Speaking at the Seminar on the Strategy for Protecting the Java Island Area Through the Construction of the Giant Sea Wall in Jakarta, Minister Trenggono highlighted that the absence of fishing quota regulations had made other countries hesitant to import fish from Indonesia.
In response to this, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries introduced Government Regulation Number 11 of 2023, which outlines various aspects such as designated fishing areas, fish capture quotas, and the number of vessels allowed for fishing activities. This measure seeks to uphold the sustainability of fish resources, provide welfare for fishers, expand employment opportunities, increase the added value and competitiveness of fishery products, ensure business certainty, and contribute to the overall economy.
“We have managed it. Fish can no longer be caught indiscriminately, so that our fish commodities can become champions,” Minister Trenggono emphasized.
Highlighting the vast potential of global marine resources, the minister stressed the need for a strategy to position Indonesia as one of the leading players in the sector. The global seafood market, valued at US$730 billion annually, presents a significant opportunity. In 2022 alone, it reached US$338 billion.
As Indonesia is a maritime country, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is actively promoting the utilization of both land-based and ocean-based resources to tap into the large economic potential. The country’s fisheries production currently stands at 2.3 million tons, with a production value of Rp45 trillion (approximately US$2.88 billion).
Minister Trenggono expressed the commitment to improve ocean-based resource utilization, emphasizing plans to increase farming for exports in the future.