DEVELOPING FISHERY INDUSTRY IN PAPUA by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 31, 2017 (Antara)  - Papua Island has abundant marine resources, particularly in the Arafura Sea, which is rich in economically important fish species that include Barramundi, grouper, Penaeid shrimp, and Nemipteridae fishes.

          In a world where marine ecosystems and fish stocks are generally collapsing, the Arafura Sea stands out as among the richest marine fisheries in the world, making it a target for poaching by foreign fishing boats.

           The Indonesian Government has intensified the fight against illegal fishing activities and has intended to accelerate the development of fishery industry in various regions, including Papua, particularly for the welfare of traditional fishermen.

        Several Papuan regions having huge potential in the fishery industry include Biak, Jayapura, Merauke, Timika, Nabire, and Yapen Islands, F.X. Motte, head of the Papua maritime and fishery office, stated recently.

        The Papuan provincial administration will invite local and national businessmen to invest in fishery field, in order to boost the province's fishery industry development.

        Motte invited investors to also develop fish processing and canning plants in Papua.

        "Right now, Jayapura is flooded with canned fish and meat from Papua New Guinea. It is our challenge to develop similar plants in our neighboring country too," he noted.

        In the past, Papua had successful fishery companies, such as PT Mina Jaya located in Biak. The fish canning industry, however, was closed down due to several reasons.

        Motte noted that he had met Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti in Jakarta recently, and she had given the green light for Papua to develop the fishery industry in accordance with the existing regulations.

        In Yapen, a Norwegian investor is currently involved in fish aquaculture in Baramuli, he added. 
   He invited other investors to monitor Timika and Asmat, which have the potential for crab and shrimp farming.

        "We have discussed the possibility of developing crab and shrimp aquaculture by involving the local community with the Amungme and Kamoro Community Development Institution," he revealed.

        To support the fishery industry development, the Papuan administration, in cooperation with the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, will expand several fishing ports in the province.

        Among the fishing ports to be renovated were a 74-hectare Lampu Satu Port in Merauke, Paumako in Timika, Hamadi in Jayapura, and Wadibu Anggobi Port in Biak.

         The Lampu Satu Port will be developed into the Nusantara fishing port (PPN), Paumako Port into a Coast fishing port, Hamadi Port into PPN, and Wadibu Anggobi into an Ocean fishing port (PPS).

        "We have discussed this matter with the ministry. Hopefully, a ministerial decree on the expansion of fishing ports will be issued in the near future," Motte remarked.

         The upgrade in the status and capacity of these fishing ports is crucial for the development of the fishery industry in Papua, he noted.

         Papua is expected to export fish from Biak when the construction of the PPS, to be located in Wadibu, Oride Sub-district, is completed, he added.

         "We hope Pudjiastuti would visit Papua to review the fishing ports of Paumako in Timika, Lampu Satu in Merauke, and Hamadi in Jayapura, as well as Pandoi in Biak," he stated.

         The Wadibu Anggobi ocean fishing port, measuring some 40 hectares, will be able to accommodate up to 100 fishing boats.

         In fact, the 56-hectare Paumako fishing port has been ready since 2016 but has not been optimally operational, as it needs a fuel station.

         "As long as we know, the Paumako fishing port in Timika is almost complete, but it just needs a fuel station. It already has clean water supply, an ice factory, and fish storage facilities," he noted.

         A local businessman is interested in running a fuel station in Paumako, he added.

         In fact, every port in Indonesia should have adequate stocks of diesel fuel for fishermen, according to the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry.

         "I encourage every port to have a Diesel Pack Dealer for Fishermen (SPDN)," Sjarief Widjaja, director general for capture fishery affairs of the ministry, informed the press on Aug 30, 2017.

        Diesel fuel distribution still poses a problem in several regions, causing its price to rise.

         The problem will aggravate when there is no diesel fuel, thereby preventing fishermen from venturing into the sea to catch fish.

        Meanwhile, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has offered to build a fish breeding pilot project in Jayawijaya District, Papua.

        "The ministry wants to build the pilot project in eastern Indonesia and we have offered the project. The problem is the availability of location," head of the district Fishery Office Lamberth Hesegem remarked.

        If the pilot project has become a reality, other district areas could come here to study modern fish breeding system, he concluded. ***1***
(f001/INE)
EDITED BY INE/H-YH