Bali builds new fishing port

DENPASAR, Bali (Antara): Indonesia's Bali province will use the Rp 3.4 billion (about US$358,000) soft loan from Japan's Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) to build a fishing port in Jembrana district, a local official said Saturday.

"In 2000 the province built a number of fishing ports using Rp 37 billion in soft loans from foreign sources," head of the provincial fishery office, Ida Bagus Wisnawa Manuaba, said.

He expressed hope that the construction of fishing ports in the province, particularly in Pengambengan village in Jembrana, would be completed in three to four years.

Manuaba noted that the building of a fishing port in Pengambengan would decongest Benoa port, where about 540 fishing boats are docked.

Data from the provincial industry and trade office showed that the province's earnings from last year's fish exports totaled US$ 55.6 million, down 16.57 percent from $66.7 million in 1999.

Exports of tuna fish alone reached a total of $42.7 million in value or 11,106 tons in volume last year. In 1999, the tuna fish exports were 14,219 tons worth $55.6 million.