Govt urged to review fish export restrictions
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Fishery Businesses Association (Gappindo) has expressed hope that the government would review its export restriction policy on certain types of fish products.
Gappindo general chairman Herwindo said here on Saturday that the large number of species of fish banned for exports reflected the government`s exaggerated interference in the fishery sector.
"At present, the government has banned the export of at least 22 types of fish," he said pointing out as an example at the ban on the export of tuna which weighs below 25 kg.
He said that the government was imposing the export ban in an effort to increase the production of fish industry at home, while as a matter of fact there was no correlation between export restriction and the increase in the fish production volumes in the country.
"Most of the fish catches are distributed to processing industries at home but yet their production has yet to reach the maximal level," Herwindo said.
In such a condition, businessmen in the fishery sector adversely suffered the impact because the relatively high demand abroad was not met.
Investment in the fishery sector has been undergoing an average decline by about 5.39 percent per annum over the past four years.
"Data at the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) issued this year indicated that the investment in the fishery sector in the 2006-2009 period had been declining by about 5.39 percent a year," Suhana of the Ministry of Maritime and Fishery Affairs said early this week.
He said that investment in the fishery sector in 2006 stood at Rp33 billion of which 99.39 percent were foreign investment. In 2008, however, the value of investment in the fishery sector was only recorded at Rp2.4 billion which were 100 percent foreign investment. (*)
Gappindo general chairman Herwindo said here on Saturday that the large number of species of fish banned for exports reflected the government`s exaggerated interference in the fishery sector.
"At present, the government has banned the export of at least 22 types of fish," he said pointing out as an example at the ban on the export of tuna which weighs below 25 kg.
He said that the government was imposing the export ban in an effort to increase the production of fish industry at home, while as a matter of fact there was no correlation between export restriction and the increase in the fish production volumes in the country.
"Most of the fish catches are distributed to processing industries at home but yet their production has yet to reach the maximal level," Herwindo said.
In such a condition, businessmen in the fishery sector adversely suffered the impact because the relatively high demand abroad was not met.
Investment in the fishery sector has been undergoing an average decline by about 5.39 percent per annum over the past four years.
"Data at the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) issued this year indicated that the investment in the fishery sector in the 2006-2009 period had been declining by about 5.39 percent a year," Suhana of the Ministry of Maritime and Fishery Affairs said early this week.
He said that investment in the fishery sector in 2006 stood at Rp33 billion of which 99.39 percent were foreign investment. In 2008, however, the value of investment in the fishery sector was only recorded at Rp2.4 billion which were 100 percent foreign investment. (*)