Trader Association and PWI Educate Students to Promote Ornamental Fish
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Cengkareng Ornamental Fish Traders Association (APIC) and the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) have organised an ornamental fish education programme for students to promote the community of fish sellers at the Cengkareng Fisheries Promotion Centre (TPHP) in West Jakarta to the wider public.
The Acting Assistant for Economic Development of West Jakarta, Depika Romadi, stated that the activity is intended to ensure that the ornamental fish centre in West Jakarta becomes more widely known and competitive in a broader market.
“This is the only place in Jakarta that provides adequate facilities to support ornamental fish hobbies in West Jakarta. It is hoped that TPHP Cengkareng can become one of the ornamental fish centres capable of competing with other ornamental fish markets in Jakarta,” said Depika.
The involvement of school children in this activity is intended to ensure that the ornamental fish sales ecosystem, particularly at TPHP Cengkareng, can become a new tourist attraction for all groups, including students.
“This education is important for the growth and development of children—how they can choose hobbies to pursue. As seen earlier, besides drawing, the children were also enthusiastic about touring the ornamental fish available here at TPHP Cengkareng,” added Depika.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Cengkareng Ornamental Fish Traders Association (APIC), Bryan Ghautama, mentioned that TPHP Cengkareng is home to 39 ornamental fish traders, with sales activities having commenced since 2011.
“Therefore, we created this ornamental fish education programme for young children, starting from preschool and primary school ages, so they recognise that Indonesia’s natural wealth includes ornamental fish that are highly popular worldwide,” said Bryan.
He noted that Indonesian ornamental fish have actually gone global, yet the global market mostly receives supplies through second-hand channels.
“I have visited London, America, and Arabia, and there are ornamental fish and ornamental fish shops; a large portion, about 80 per cent, are fish from Indonesia. After further investigation, they are exported from Singapore, which in turn takes them from Indonesia. Indonesia itself is not well-known to those countries,” he said.
His side hopes that TPHP Cengkareng will become increasingly known to the public as one of the major ornamental fish centres in Jakarta, supported by its 39 traders.
“In the future, we will further develop promotional efforts such as this,” Bryan added.
Observations at the location on Wednesday afternoon showed that students were provided with education regarding the ornamental fish at TPHP Cengkareng, ranging from species types to maintenance.
Primary school children were invited to tour from one tenant to another. Additionally, the location is becoming increasingly crowded with the presence of MSME (UMKM) tenants located behind the TPHP building.