Airport officials hinder export of aquarium fish

JAKARTA (JP): Officials unaware of export regulations have hampered the export industry of Indonesian aquarium fish, participants of a seminar said here yesterday.

Juliati, an aquarium fish exporter, told the meeting at the Grand Equatorial Hotel here that officials at airports frequently bar her from exporting jardini arwana (scleropages) fish even though they are not a protected species.

Director for Agricultural and Forestry Products Exports Zulkifli Siregar said that of the three species of scleropages fish in the country -- Formosus, Leichardti and Jardini -- only the first two are protected under international animal law.

Juliati said that uninformed airport officials often detain her fish for up to a day at a time.

"Because I'm afraid that the fish might die during a long journey, I have to do what they want to save the fish," she said.

Siregar said exports of aquarium fish in the last five years increased by an average of 12.7 percent per annum. However, the rate is far lower than the 26.6 percent annual increase in world imports.

He said Indonesia's exports of aquarium fish reached US$7.9 million in 1994, which represented only a 3.5 percent share of the world market.

The workshop, which ends today, was organized by the Ministry of Trade in cooperation with the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, the Merauke (Irian) regency administration and the association of Arwana (scleropages) breeders. (kod)