The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) has said that the government is striving to turn Biak Numfor District, Papua Province, into a hub for exporting superior fishery commodities.
"Thus, the export market expansion -- such as to Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Palau, Korea, and Hong Kong -- can be carried out directly and sustainably in future," Head of KSP Moeldoko said in a statement received here on Tuesday regarding his working visit to the Biak Numfor District Fish Management Unit (UPI) and Center for Integrated Fisheries Areas (SKPT).
He issued the statement in response to the aspiration voiced by one of the local fishermen he met during the working visit.
The local fisherman, Moses, expressed a wish for the expansion of fisheries commodities exports since currently, fishery products are only being sent to Singapore.
The KSP head also emphasized that the central government is committed to fully supporting the improvement of the marine and fishery industry potential in the district through, for instance, the establishment of the SKPT.
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The government has also established supporting facilities and infrastructure, such as the Fandoi Fishing Port, a fish landing location equipped with adequate electricity and clean water, fishing equipment and vessels, as well as an integrated cold storage with a capacity of 200 tons, he informed.
"All of the supports have been provided to improve the welfare of small local fishermen, according to the President’s (Joko Widodo’s) directives," he added.
Meanwhile, Head of Biak Numfor District Herry Ario Naap informed that the production of fishery commodities in the district has reached 144.9 thousand tons in a year, contributing up to 13.7 percent to the total national fishery production.
The region has the potential to boost fishery production to over one million tons per year, he added.
"If the products can be exported directly, the amount of foreign exchange obtained (by Biak Numfor District) will be very large," he said.
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Editor : Mahdani
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