Absorption of fishery products for the domestic market in 2021 reached 12.66 million tons, higher than the export market which only reached 1.9 million tons.
Heaptalk, Jakarta — As the second largest aquaculture producer in the world with a total potential of 14.8 million tons in 2020, the fisheries sector in Indonesia has a great capacity to reinforce national food security.
OECD-FAO reported that fish consumption in Indonesia has increased to 35.26 kg per capita in 2021, from 34.72 kg per capita in 2020. The number is estimated to fluctuate in the following years, increasing in 2024-2029 and decreasing in 2031.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries recorded that the fish consumption number in Indonesia reached 55.37 kg per capita in 2021, which rose 54.56 kg per capita (1.48%) in 2020. Different measurement components might lead to a gap in the OECD-FAO and Ministry figures, for example, the Ministry calculated hotel and restaurant consumption, while the OECD-FAO did not.
Associate Professor in Oceanography at the Department of Marine Science and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University Alan Frendy Koropitan delivered his optimism that protein from the sea can become one of the pillars of national food security. Alan revealed key approaches to tackle the existing challenges, spanning difficulty in accessing fuel and limitations of the cold chain.
Improving access to fuel for small fishermen
According to the Ministry, the total potential of fish resources is estimated to reach 12.01 million tons per year spread across eleven state fisheries management areas. The government limits the maximum catches to only 8.6 million tonnes per year.
With its large potential, the country undeniably still relies on small fishermen with vessels under 10 gross tonnage (GT). Sourced to OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, 719,769 fishing vessels were operating in 2018, declining from 728,656 vessels in 2017. Compared to 2012, the number of fishing vessels operated was higher, namely 808,775 units.
Of this amount, according to Alan, 96% of the total fishing vessels are classified as under 10 GT, while 2-3% are ranging from 10 to 30 GT, and the remaining 1-2% are above 30 GT. “Indonesia as the world’s second-largest producer of aquaculture relies on small vessels under 10 GT as much as 96% to catch fish,” voiced Alan.
Small fishermen spend 60-70% of operational costs on fuel. According to Alan’s observations, the availability of fuel on the coast is relatively small. Coupled with rising fuel prices, fishermen face difficulty obtaining adequate fuel for fishing trips.
Alan conveyed, “Imagine that our focus in producing national fish is on small-scale fisheries under 10 GT with the major problem being difficulty in accessing fuel.” Therefore, he highlighted the urgency of improving access to fuel for small fishermen to boost aquaculture production.
Providing a wider range of cold chains, mainly in production areas
After being caught, the fish’s journey continues from the docks to the consumer, through a long market chain. Fresh fish requires immediately frozen as soon as caught, preferably frozen in the vessel to preserve the freshness. Fish should be thawed only when consumers are going to cook it.
According to Alan, proper storage of fresh fish is carried out only through freezing and thawing once. On the other hand, repeated freezing and thawing can reduce the freshness of the fish and its original taste, as is commonly found in almost all market chains in Indonesia. Therefore, Alan urged all stakeholders, including small fishermen and market players, to pay more attention to providing cold chains in sufficient quantity.
Cold chain, which is included in the logistics system, plays an important role in preserving fish quality. Alan said, “I am delighted that the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has made numerous programs related to the provision of cold storage, ice factory assistance, and many more, regardless of our vast territory.”
He recommends providing a cold chain tailoring the distribution of fishermen and the territory capacity. The waters of Java, according to Alan, are currently overfished. Thus, the government should start expanding the focus of cold chain provision to production centers outside Java.
Further, Alan mentioned several fish production centers in the eastern region, spanning North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Maluku, Papua, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara. In addition, The Riau Islands in Sumatra also have a high potential for fish resources.
Targeting Java as the main domestic market for fisheries
Head of Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ari Prabowo conveyed that in general, the uptake of fishery products for domestic consumption is greater than that for the export market.
Ari said, “The uptake of consumption fishery products, excluding seaweed, for domestic consumption in 2021 reached 12.66 million tons (equivalent to fresh whole). Meanwhile, the absorption for the export market in 2021 only reached 1.9 million tons.”
In more detail, Ari revealed that Java absorbs the largest fish production since most of Indonesia’s population lives on the island. In 2021, Java absorbed 6.16 million tons of fish, followed by Sumatra Island with 2.98 million tons, Sulawesi with 1.32 million tons, and other regions with 2.20 million tons. Tilapia and catfish are the most favored with consumption of 1.19 million tonnes and 1.1 million tons respectively in 2021.
As a form of reinforcement for small fishermen, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries implements multiple means to address the issue of access to fuel. One of which is identifying the need for subsidized fuel quotas and the number of fishermen who are entitled to receive subsidized fuel based on the Kusuka card.
In addition, the ministry is also coordinating with Pertamina and BPH Migas to provide sufficient fuel supplies. Ari said that his party also asked the local government to cooperate with the police to anticipate fraud in the distribution of subsidized fuel for fishermen.
Further, to strengthen the uptake of fishery products in the domestic market, the ministry implemented several programs, one of which is by equipping marketing facilities and infrastructure as well as implementing and developing cold chains and fish logistics systems. “We also encourage the supply of fish according to consumer preferences with good quality, sufficient quantity, and affordable prices,” said Ari.
The ministry also facilitates marketing access through upstream-downstream business meetings, product promotion, and marketing development through online marketing, spanning Pasar Laut Indonesia and the marketplace, as well as facilitating cooperation with modern retail markets. In addition, the government also encourages the utilization of fishery products in dealing with national issues, including stunting, and developing a variety of processed fishery products and fish-based menus.
