Transcript for:
Indonesian Fisheries: Opportunities and Challenges

This is the view we get to see everyday. Fishery ports in Indonesia, either the big and small scale, sea products arrive abundantly. Only in the certain time, when the weather is not friendly where the ports are not so crowded. When there is one type of fish or other marine products that are not in season, there is still other type of fish to compensate the catching. This is the potential of Indonesian fisheries. A maritime nation with more than 17,000 islands. A nation full with resources to be explored. The biggest archipelago nation, with the vast water area 74% from the nationwide area. Along with such landscape, Indonesia is blessed with the incredibly massive marine wealth especially in the fishery sector. The Indonesian sea is about 5.8 million square kilometres, 54% of the national protein need is able to be fulfilled from the fish and other marine products. Around 10% of world’s fishery products, is coming from Indonesia. The sustainable potential of Indonesian marine resources is estimated to be around 12 million tons per year. This potential is distributed in Indonesia's regional waters and exclusive economic zone waters. Tuna, skipjack, mackarel tuna, snapper and grouper are the kind of fishes that have high economic value. Other than that there are prawn, lobster, crab, squid and seaweed as the other high economic value marine products. Fishery products in Indonesia noted as the third highest in the world, after China and Peru. As for the fish cultivation, Indonesia ranked the third after China and India. Meanwhile for the fish cultivation, the potential area is more that 12 million hectares. But unfortunately, the utilisation of the potential is less than 3% of the total potential area. With this massive resources, the challenge on the management is also vast and complex. Illegal fishing becomes the number one threat in Indonesian fishery. Fish stealing, harmful catching method using dangerous substance and tools, are the forms of illegal fishing. Illegal fishing practices, that are unreported and unregulated resulted the loss of tens of million tonnes marine resources. How much do we loss by the illegal fishing? The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries notes that the state's losses due to illegal fishing are estimated at 100 trillion rupiah. Other than that, the harmful illegal fishing practices as the usage of bomb, cyanide, and compressor are still highly implemented though the law restricts. the illegal fishing practices and endangering capture not only cause the loss in the economy of the people and the nation but also accelerate the damage that jeopardise the marine ecosystems and the biodiversity. Other challenge is the lack of optimisation of production from fish cultivation nationwide. Small islands has a strength for the economic development and still not yet optimised. As well as the fish processing industry that is also lack of optimisation. As well as, fisheries management governance that needs to be synergised between the parties. This existence of the school of fish might be gone just in a while. Along with the bustle on the fishery ports in all over the nation. Sustainable fisheries allows us to safeguard our existing resources. The benefit of marine products is not only to favour the economy. To conserve the sustainability of the environment, social and economy. These are the three basic principles that we must obey in order to develop the sustainable fisheries.