RI yet to tap fishery sector potential fully
RI yet to tap fishery sector potential fully
JAKARTA (JP): The achievements of Indonesia's under-developed fishery sector has a long way to go before matching the size of the country's sprawling 5.8 million square kilometers of tropical seas.
Statistics show that Indonesia actually has a potential fishery catch of 6.7 million tons a year; 4.4 million tons from its territorial waters and 2.3 million tons from its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones (EEZ).
Recent media reports have stated that the local fleets so far have only been able to utilize 40 percent of the resources in the territorial waters and 25 percent of that in the EEZ.
Chairman for the Association of Indonesian Fishing Companies Sudwikatmono urged the government last month to allow local companies to import used fishing vessels.
According to the association, its members could not afford to buy vessels manufactured by local companies, whose products cost six to seven times more than the imports.
Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Aburizal Bakrie said most fishing companies were also doubtful whether they could rely on the quality and promptness of locally- produced fishing vessels.
Imports
The association claims that if imports of used fishing vessels continue to be banned -- while at the same time local production can not yet meet the local demand -- Indonesia's marine resources will be hauled out of the country by foreign fishing fleets.
Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie contended, however, that state-owned PT IKI and PT PAL were enough and capable of manufacturing fishing vessels and passenger ships to meet the country's demand.
Habibie emphasized the need for Indonesians to "love home-made products", even if it meant that a sacrifice had to be made.
Bringing in too many large (more than 30 gross-ton) imported vessels may also be a disadvantage to traditional fishermen.
According to the Directorate General of Fisheries, about 85 percent of the fishing boats operating in Indonesia do not use motors, or use detachable motors, and they, therefore, cannot go as far out as the exclusive economic zones.
Most of the small boats are operated by traditional fishermen.
The fishing grounds for traditional vessels are the shallower parts of Indonesia's territorial waters -- mostly near Sumatra and Java -- and that of large vessels are the deeper areas around Sulawesi, Maluku and Irian Jaya.
Once too many large vessels operate in Indonesia, they may shift their operations to shallower waters, thereby invading the areas occupied by traditional fishermen.
If the government decides to allow imports in the future, the best way to do it would be to select the vessels coming in, depending on their size, their types and the market demand.
This, followed by stricter control over territorial waters and the EEZ, will ensure that the large vessels keep to their areas and the traditional fishermen maintain their livelihood from the sea. (pwn)