Fish lovers get one-stop market, resto

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Good news for fish lovers: The city now has a one-stop fish market and restaurant on downtown Jl. Pejompongan, Central Jakarta.

Unlike traditional fish market and restaurants in Muara Angke, North Jakarta -- which are on the beach -- the new three-story air-conditioned market is located close to Pejompongan low-cost apartments.

The market, which was inaugurated on Sunday by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, will offer 20 kinds of live fish, 80 types of fresh fish and frozen fish.

"We use the first floor to display live and fresh fish," Yoseph, the market's field supervisor, told The Jakarta Post. Some live fish, lobsters and clams were observed in the aquarium while iced fresh fish were also displayed.

The second and third stories of the building are still under construction.

City-owned PD Pembangunan Sarana Jaya's president director Tebyan A'Maari said that the second floor would serve as a processed and dried fish market that would remain open 24 hours. While the third story would be used for restaurants.

"The price of fish sold here is no greater than that of fish sold in Muara Karang. Of course, this place is more comfortable than Muara Karang," he said.

Tebyan said the fish-market management would provide a delivery service using trucks and motorcycles.

The Pejompongan fish market is the first project to be completed among five similar projects in five municipalities.

Governor Sutiyoso said the fish market was constructed as a part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the city administration and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on March 11, 2003.

"In having a downtown fish market, we hope to encourage the public to boost their fish consumption," he said.

The fish market's construction, however, has been strongly opposed by locals.

According to Gubernatorial Decree No. 473/1995 signed by then governor Surjadi Soedirdja, the 4.6-hectare plot of land would have been used for the construction of low-cost apartments and public facilities. However, the administration had only managed to secure the ownership of, and clear for construction, 4,000 square meters of land.

Sutiyoso admitted that he had approved the move to use the land for the fish market.

"It is common that land use is changed, for the greater benefit of the public," he argued.

He denied that locals rejected the fish market.

"I have not heard about their opposition. Besides, the market construction has been finished now," he concluded.