October 13, 2010

Indonesia's Maluku to become national fish production centre

The Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) have drawn up a strategic concept to make Indonesia's Maluku province a national fish production centre.

"Coordinated by Prof John Haluan, an expert team from IPB presented its concept and action plan here on Saturday, October 9, 2010," Poli Kayhatta, spokesman of Maluku's maritime affairs and fisheries office, said here Tuesday (Oct 12).

He said after the presentation, the concept and action plan would be perfected by maritime experts from Pattimura University before being handed to the central government.

According to Kayhattu, the concept and action plan to make Maluku a national fish production centre was made as a follow up to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's statement that the central government fully supported efforts to increase fish production in the province.

"We hope the government will come up with funds to support the realisation of the concept of Maluku as a national fish production centre in 2011," Kaihattu said.

He said Maluku had more than 658,000 square kilometres of sea with extensive marine resources that can be developed for the local people's prosperity and economic growth.

The province had a fishery potential of 1.6 million tonnes per year with 780 fish species, or 26.3% of the national fishery potential of 6.26 million tonnes per year.

According to Kaihattu, Maluku had three main fishery areas, namely the Seram Sea, the Banda Sea, and the Arafura Sea with overall fishery resources consisting of 1,476,400 tonnes of pelagic fish, 295,500 tonnes of damsel fish, 47,700 tonnes of coral fish, 44,000 tonnes of shrimp, 800 tonnes of lobster, and 10,570 tonnes of squid per year.