Mega opens ornamental fish farm

JAKARTA: President Megawati Soekarnoputri inaugurated the country's largest ornamental fish farm in Cibinong, West Java on Sunday.

Citing the country's potential to breed ornamental fish, Megawati said that the industry could support the conservation of the sea.

"We need to breed these fish to avoid further destruction of the sea," said Megawati, adding that Indonesia could be the world's largest ornamental fish exporter by 2006.

The Ornamental Fish Breeding & Marketing Center, believed to be the largest in southeast Asia, was built on 17.6 hectares of land consisting of breeder sites, fingerling pools and aquariums, and is managed by the ministry of fisheries and maritime affairs.

During the ceremony, Megawati was accompanied by Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Rokhmin Dahuri.--Antara