RI only able to tap 40% of tuna resources

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia was only able to tap 40 percent of its tuna resources due to the lack of modern fishing equipment, Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah said yesterday.

Sjarifudin said after inaugurating the Indonesian Tuna Association that there were plenty of opportunities for Indonesian fishing companies to exploit the country's supply of tuna.

"We should become a main player in the tuna fishing industry because Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago country and we are very close to the Indian Ocean, which is (teaming) with tuna," he said.

He said the lack of sophisticated equipment was the main obstacle for the tuna fishing industry, because tuna were highly migratory.

"This problem has to be solved by businesses in cooperation with the government. The government has helped simplify some regulations, and I hope the association will help its members in the transfer of technology," he said, adding that fishing companies should also familiar themselves with international regulations related to tuna catches.

Sjarifudin said there were many international laws and standards to ensure that tuna fishing would not harm the ocean's ecosystem.

According to data from the Directorate General of Fisheries, Indonesia produces about 178,000 tons of tuna annually, or 3 percent of the country's total fishery products, with growth of about 13 percent.

Indonesia's total export volume of tuna in 1996 increased by 11 percent to 100,070 tons, from 90,140 tons in 1995. Its export value was US$252 million in 1996, a 13 percent increase from $217 million in 1995.

The country exports most of its fresh and frozen tuna to the United States, Japan and Singapore, while its canned tuna is exported to the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Forty percent of imported filleted tuna in Japan came from Indonesia last year.

The Indonesian Tuna Association was established by three tuna-related associations, namely the Association of Indonesian Tuna Businesses, the Association of Indonesian Tuna Fishery Entrepreneurs and the Association of Balinese Tuna Entrepreneurs.

Sjarifudin said he hoped the association could serve as a communications link between the government and tuna industries in dealing with all matters related to tuna. (08)