By Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Karangasem, Bali
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday inaugurated the world's biggest shrimp breeding center (broodstock) located in Bugbug village in Karangasem regency, Bali.
The broodstock, having a production capacity of 675,000 shrimps per year, is expected to improve the country's competitiveness in fishery sector, with shrimp becoming the main export commodity besides seaweed and tuna.
The president called for the improvement of fishery sector, considering that the country boasts huge potentials of marine resources in its 6 million square kilometer sea area.
He said fishery commodities should be prioritized for domestic market, especially to increase the consumption of fish and shrimp.
"The priority should be domestic market, and that supply chain should be made efficient, so that prices could be controlled at an affordable level and people could consume more fish products."
"The next target is export. We should have a good competitiveness because of tight competition for shrimp commodity in the foreign market," he added.
Last year, the country's export value for shrimp commodity reached US$1.58 billion, contributing 63 percent from the total export of fishery product of $2.47 billion, Minister of Fishery and Marine Affairs Fadel Muhammad said.
"In the period of 2010-2014, we expect shrimp production to increase by 74.7 percent from 400,000 tons to 699,000 tons," he said.
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