Indonesia exports 2.2 tons of tuna from Maluku to Japan

JAKARTA, Aug 31, 2020, The Jakarta Post. Indonesia exported 2.2 tons of tuna from Maluku to Japan on Sunday in a bid to boost the fishing industry in the region. At a ceremony commemorating the export, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo said the export was a sign of the central government’s efforts to boost fishery in Maluku, The Jakarta Post reported.

“I also thank the Maluku administration for its tireless efforts to improve its ocean resources,” Edhy said on Sunday. During the ceremony, Edhy handed a hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) certificate to PT. Maluku Prima Makmur, the company exporting the tuna.

“This certificate indicates that the company has obtained a feasibility processing certificate [sertifikat kelayakan pengolahan-SKP] and has implemented good manufacturing practices and sanitation standard operating procedures,” he said.

Edhy said the central government would work hard to support the Maluku fishing industry so that the region could be categorized as a national fishing grounds, as the residents wished. Maluku has been striving to improve its fishing Industry.

In 2019, the region exported US$ 14.8 million worth of fish. In June, 123 fishers of a fishery on Buru Island, Maluku, were certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) with the ecolabel, which indicates that the associations’ catch meets international best practices for sustainable fishing. With the award, they became the first handline yellowfin tuna fishery in the world, and the second recipient in Indonesia, to be certified with the MSC credentials.

As per July 2020, Indonesia has exported 6,278 tons of fish consisting of tuna, shrimps, and decapterus worth $34.6 million.