Hundreds of Kilograms of Riau Islands Seafood Break Into Sydney and Honolulu Markets

TANJUNGPINANG — PT Bintan Intan Gemilang (BIG), a small-to-medium enterprise supported by Customs in the Riau Islands, has successfully exported 650 kilograms of fresh fish to Sydney, Australia, on 28 February 2026. The company also exported fresh fish to Honolulu, United States, on 2 March 2026.

This export marks the resumption of PT BIG’s fresh fish shipments to Australia following a two-year suspension of operations. The company is preparing a further shipment of 1,000 kilograms of fresh fish to Australia scheduled for March 2026.

Joko Pri Sukmono Dwi Widodo, Head of the Tanjungpinang Customs Office, stated that his office remains committed to supporting business operators, particularly small-to-medium enterprises, in expanding access to export markets.

“We consistently provide mentoring to business operators to enable them to penetrate international markets. Our support encompasses licensing facilitation, customs services, and technical assistance, allowing business operators to enhance the competitiveness of their products,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (10 March 2026).

Throughout 2025, PT Bintan Intan Gemilang exported more than 425 tonnes of fishery products to various countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States, with a total foreign exchange value exceeding Rp 41 billion.

This export success is expected to motivate other business operators in the Riau Islands to continue improving quality and production capacity.

“Synergy between business operators and government is key to driving export growth in the region whilst strengthening the fisheries sector’s contribution to the national economy,” concluded Joko.