RI, A`lia agree to develop tuna farming

Antara News, Monday, May 17, 2010 20:58 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Australia have agreed to cooperate in developing tuna farming in Bali province, Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said.

"Australia has agreed to provide US$10 million in funds to develop tuna farming including offshore tuna farming in Indonesia," Fadel said after a meeting between the Indonesian Maritime Council and the House of Representatives` Commission IV here on Monday.

The project would be carried out in Bali, he said.

The Australian funds would also be used for marine researches in Indonesia, he said.

He said there had been proposal to take advantage of around 360 used oil rigs in the Indonesian waters for fish farming.

"I think it is good idea to take advantage of the used oil rigs for deep sea fish farming or offshore port. But we still have to study the possibility of using them," he said.He said his office would discuss the matter with relevant agencies.

"The cost of dismantling the used oil rigs is large or about the same as the cost of producing new oil rigs. I will also report the possibility of using the used oil rigs for fish farming to the President," he said.

EU to lift mercury testing on RI edible fish products

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/23/2010 10:51 AM

Indonesian edible fish products destined for European markets will no longer be subject to rigorous mercury detection inspections, an association says.

“Indonesia has managed to relax a European Union (EU) regulation — starting April 16. (Indonesia’s)

sea catches will no longer be subject to mercury inspections,” Indonesian Fisheries Processing

and Marketing Entrepreneurs Association chairman Thomas Darmawan told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The heavy metal detection requirement has been in place since 2006. The regulation was passed in 2006 after an EU commission team found that fisheries products imported from Indonesia and intended for human consumption spoiled quickly and contained high levels of histamine.

The inspections also revealed that Indonesian authorities did not carry out reliable inspections of fish, in particular to detect histamine and heavy metals, the 2006 Commission Decision said.

A letter sent last month by the Food Standards Agency, an independent government department with headquarters in the United Kingdom, said the European Commission proposed to revoke the 2006 Commission

Decision, which requires heavy metal testing on all imports of non-aquaculture fishery products from Indonesia.

“The Commission has now received appropriate guarantees from the Indonesian authorities that controls are in place to ensure products meet EU requirements as regards to heavy metals,” the letter said.

“Also, the results of import controls at EU Border Inspection Posts indicate that imports are satisfactory.”

Although it lifts a mercury testing requirement, the EU has increased the strictness of antibiotics testing on farmed fishery products from Indonesia.

It now stipulates that a minimum 20 percent of consignments be tested, up from 10 percent, according

to Thomas.

“The issue of antibiotics is actually an old problem,” he said.

“We actually have improved now. But maybe an [EU] inspection team found unsatisfactory results during their visit here last November.”

The FSA in its letter said that at least 20 percent of consignments of farmed fisheries products from Indonesia intended for human consumption would be subjected at Border Inspection Posts to sampling for testing for pharmacologically active substances, in particular chloramphenicol, metabolites of nitrofurans and tetracyclines (including tetracycline, oxytetracycline and chlortecycline).

According to Thomas, Indonesia exported US$146.6 million worth of shrimp, $34.29 million of tuna, $21.24 million of seaweed and $100.54 million of processed fish (excluding tuna and shrimp), to Europe in 2009.

Central Statistics Agency data showed that non-oil and gas exports to the EU stood at $2.59 billion in the first two months of this year, up by 37.8 percent from the $1.88 billion booked in that period last year.

Fishy deal

The Jakarta Post, Sun, 04/04/2010 3:50 PM

Fishy deal: Fishermen unload their catches, cakalang [tuna] fish, in Larantuka, East Flores of East Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday. East Flores area produces around 12 million tons of fishes per year. Antara/Ismar Patrizki

Indonesian fishing moratorium a small step to help save Coral Triangle

WWF, 15 March 2010

Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) are cage-fed to improve the quality of their meat. La Paz, Mexico. (Photo: Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF)

WWF welcomes Indonesian moratorium on new trawl and purse seine fisheries licenses but an immediate reduction in fishing efforts is needed in order to protect the Coral Triangle, the world’s most diverse marine environment.

Trawling and purse seine fisheries have become a problematic issue in Indonesia, strongly contributing to the overfishing of mostly fully exploited juvenile tunas, and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in the area (IUU).

“This moratorium on new fishing licenses for trawlers and purse seiners will certainly stop the bleeding but not the wound, so to speak. A reduction in current fishing capacity is key to addressing problems of overfishing and bycatch of juvenile tunas in the Coral Triangle” says Dr. Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Head.

Tuna is an important fishing resource in Coral Triangle as it supports the economies of many developing nations and represents the livelihoods of millions of people in this region and beyond.

The region contains spawning and nursery grounds and migratory routes for commercially-valuable tuna species such as bigeye, yellowfin, skipjack and albacore, producing more than 40% of the total catch for the Western Central Pacific region, and representing more than 20% of the global catch.

As of 2007, more than 10,000 trawlers and 22,000 purse seiners have been found in Indonesian waters.

‘These existing fishing fleets are highly capable of bringing already fully exploited fish stocks to an even greater overfished state’ adds Dr. Pet-Soede.

‘We would also like to seek further clarification on the criteria being used to determine stock recovery and how this is will be evaluated. WWF is willing to participate and contribute to this process.’

Trawling, which can catch as much as 30 tons of fish in a single operation, was banned nationally in 1980 but was once again made legal two years later, specifically in the Arafuru Seas in Papua.

In 2008, a regulation to allow shrimp trawling in the East Kalimantan province was issued.

Today, demersal fish stocks and shrimp are fully exploited and overfished in the Arafuru Seas. Similar results have occurred in the Flores Seas and Makassar Strait in East Kalimantan.

Purse seining has likewise become an issue in Indonesian fisheries. As much as 57% of skipjack, 71% of yellowfin and 75% of bigeye tunas caught by Indonesian purse seiners are juvenile and fully exploited.

Purse seining of small pelagic fish, or free swimming open ocean species like Skipjack tuna and sardines in Indonesia accounts for as much as 80% of the total catch in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This however also includes big pelagic fish, which have been overfished in the Sulawesi Seas and Pacific Ocean. Pelagic fish, both big and small, have now been classified as fully exploited in Indonesia.

Related Article:

Bluefin tuna ban proposal meets rejection

RI, Australia conduct research in Ashmore Reef

Antara News, Thursday, February 11, 2010 02:25 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian and Australian governments planned a joint fishery survey and research in the Ashmore Reef to settle the dispute in the MoU Box area.

Head of the International and Inter Institutional Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Marine and Fishery Affairs Anang Nugroho said in Jakarta Wednesday that with regard to the settlement of the dispute between the two countries in the Ashmore Reef region as agreed in the MoU Box, the two sides discussed several things including the important joint survey and research on fishery commodities in the region.

In addition, he said, conservation in the MoU Box region is linked to the method of fishing molluscs of the traditional fishermen, and the alternative livelihood implementation under the Coastal Community Development program.

He added that the joint research in the region is aimed at obtaining joint data on the availability of fish stocks in the region, so that it would be clear what species need conservation.

In the meeting between Minister of Marine and Fishery Affairs Fadel Muhammad and Australian Ambassador Bill Farmer, he said that the discussion also touched on bilateral cooperation between the two countries. In the marketing of fishery products under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.

Identification of the management of the Arafuru marine ecosystem through the Australia Timor Sea Forum (ATSEF) and fostered institutional cooperation through the Coral Triangle Initiative forum was also taken up, Anang added.

The two, he said, also discussed joint fishery management like tuna and carp fishery data and information system in East Indonesia.

In addition, they also discussed the development of method and database by logbook, and observer program for tuna and red carp fishery.

Govt to control fish prices soon

Antara News, Sunday, January 31, 2010 23:18 WIB

A fisherman repairing a net at Cilincing, North Jakarta. Fishermen make just Rp 900,000 a month on average and find it hard to get bank loans. (Photo: Afriadi Hikmal, JG)

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Marine Resources and Fisheries Ministry is set to intervene in the fish market soon to control its prices.

"This is about supply and demand. And we are to launch a limited market intervention to stabilize fish prices," Minister Fadel Muhammad said here on Sunday.

Fadel said the domestic fish market must be controlled to set fish prices to certain level without sacrificing the interests of fishermen, fish farmers and people at large.

"Like in the past, we will focus it (the market intervention) on tuna. When the market is oversupplied (with tuna) and cold storage facilities cannot accommodate it, then its price will fall to Rp6,000 a kg. Under these circumstances, we will export it to allow the price to return to normal," he said.

So far, China and Japan had adopted limited intervention to control fish prices in their domestic market, he said.

"I think it (the market intervention) will not cost us huge funds. About Rp200 billion to Rp300 billion is enough," he said.

The market intervention aimed at protecting fishermen, fish farmers and the public was not tantamount to subsidy and therefore, it would not run counter to World Trade Organization (WTO) rulings, he said.

Arif Satria, director of research and strategic studies at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), said the minister`s plan to launch the market intervention was good idea.

"This is good idea to promote fishermen`s living standards. The idea is worth supporting," he said.

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Indonesian Minister Hopes to Hook Loans For Fishermen

Indonesia`s fishery products facing tariff barriers in Europe

Antara News, Saturday, January 9, 2010 07:06 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s fishery products are still hampered with tariff barriers to compete with other countries in the European Union and the Middle East, an official said.

"The tariff barriers were in the form of high import duties that caused the competitiveness of Indonesia`s fishery products to become low," Overseas Marketing Director of the Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Ministry, Saut P Hutagalung, said here on Friday.

He said that there were several European and Middle East countries which imposed high tariff rates on Indonesia`s exports. This caused Indonesia`s fishery exports to face difficulties to compete with those coming from competitor countries like Vietnam, Thailand and China.

At present, European Union nations imposed 24 percent import duty on canned tuna and 12 percent on fresh tuna, he said.

A high tariff rate which reached 40 percent is being imposed by Iran on Indonesia`s canned fish products.

"We are now trying to cooperate with European Union. Recently, during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s visit to Brussels, the president asked Indonesia`s counterpart to lower their tariff rates on its fishery products," Hutagalung said.

In the meantime, chairman of the Indonesian Fishery Society (MPN), Shidiq Moeslim acknowledged that Indonesia`s fishery products, particularly canned tuna, were still liable to high tariff rates when they enter Europe.

Illegal fishing fleets face stiffer sanctions

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Mon, 01/04/2010 9:08 AM

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad has pledged to take sterner measures against foreign-flagged vessels for failing to possess fishing permits to combat illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.

Fadel accused a number of foreign-flagged vessels currently operating in Indonesian seas of having no valid fishing permits or falsifying the names on the documents.

“We will check their documents and report directly to the National Police,” Fadel was quoted as saying by news portal tempointeraktif.com on a working visit to Bali on Saturday.

He said his office had received reports of foreign vessels operating without proper documents including in Bali and East Java.

“Their activities disturb traditional fishermen. We need to take action so small-scale local fishermen can continue with their livelihoods,” he said.

Indonesia has long been a magnet for illegal fishing fleets due to poor law enforcement and the lack of patrol boats.

Fadel said the country needed to improve its fleet’s technology to ensure effective monitoring to combat illegal fishing.

Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro had earlier also requested the House of Representative to allocate a further Rp 6 trillion to procure 96 patrol vessels, citing the need to prevent illegal fishing in Indonesia.

The ministry said the country needed at least 120 patrol vessels to combat illegal fishing.

Illegal fishing in Indonesian, done by fishing boats that operate without fishing permits, cause financial losses to the government as they do not report their catch, nor pay the taxes they owe the government.

The government has long complained of the lack of funds with which to improve monitoring activities.

Most regional marine authorities only have speedboats available to monitor coastal waters and are unable to explore deeper.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry data showed the country caught 186 foreign vessels illegally fishing in Indonesian in 2008, compared to 184 the previous year.

Fadel was in Bali to launch the issuing of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) sticker, mandatory for all Indonesian tuna-fishing vessels.

Indonesia, the 27th member of IOTC, paid Rp 2 billion in annual membership fees to the organization.

There are 874 Indonesian tuna-fishing boats including 871 long-line ships that are allowed to operate in the Indian Ocean.

“The IOTC sticker is needed to allow Indonesia to export its catch to the EU,” Fadel said.

The People’s Coalition for Equal Fisheries (Kiara) said Indonesia’s fisheries potential had been slashed by 30 to 50 percent per year due to illegal fishing.

Fadel’s ministry said the country’s fisheries output reached 8.71 million tons in 2008, a slight drop from 8.24 million tons the year before.

EU discriminates against Indonesia's fish products: Minister

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 01/03/2010 9:06 AM

Minister of Fishery and Maritime Affairs Fadel Muhammad revealed that the European Union had discriminated against Indonesia's exports of fishery products by imposing higher import tariffs, Antara reported on Sunday.

"Indonesia's fishery exports to European Union have been charged with 9.5 percent import duty, but they do not impose any import duty for exports from Vietnam. This is injustice," Fadel said in a meeting with the Association of Indonesian Long-line Tuna Producers (ATLI) in Denpasar on Saturday night.

He said the government would try to break the exports barriers in a number of countries, including in the European Union, to make Indonesia's exports of fish products more competitive.

Fadel noted that eliminating such export barriers is important to achieve his ministry's target of making Indonesia the largest exporter of fishery products by 2015.

Meanwhile, Dedy Sutisna, a director general at the Fishery and Maritime Affairs Ministry, said that Indonesia, as a member of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) had the obligation to pay an annual fee of Rp 2 billion (around US$200,000).

However, the Foreign Ministry was often late in paying that fee, Dedy said, causing Indonesia unable to attend some of IOTC meetings.

Dedy suggested that in the future, businesspeople in the fishery sector need to bear some of the cost so that Indonesia can make an active contribution to IOTC and thus boost the country’s exports of fishery products.

Tuna exporter expands GenSan, Papua facilities

Malaysia Business Insight, by Irma Isip

The RD Group, the country’s biggest tuna exporter, is spending $45 million to expand its local and overseas facilities to meet growing demand for its products, company chairman Rodrigo Rivera Sr. said.

Rivera said RD is spending $30 million to add a new line to its plant in Papua New Guinea.

Rivera said RD is also expanding its second cannery in General Santos from 140 to 200 tons a day at a cost of $15 million.

Its facility in Papua New Guinea has a capacity of 200 tons per day in raw materials while the one in Indonesia, which cost $17 million to build, handles up to 80 tons per day.

About 60 to 70 percent of the output of its General Santos facility goes to the export market. Big tuna, which weigh 20 kilograms and above, are exported to Japan and Europe while those below 10 kg are processed.

Buyers usually put their brands on their tuna.

RD prefers exporting in semi-processed form for canning in other countries like Europe. This eliminates the need for packaging and labeling.

The company’s expansion will to 11,000 the number of its workers, as fishing and canning are both labor-intensive. Of this number, 7,000 are in General Santos City.

Ninety percent of its workers are women.

RD will start the expansion beginning the first quarter of 2010.

Rivera said RD is also expanding one cannery in General Santos from 140 to 240 tons per day. This will 1,200 additional jobs.

The company exports 14 containers of fish, both finished products and fishmeal, daily. One container is valued at $14,000.

There are six canneries in General Santos, and RD is the biggest, accounting for 25 to 30 percent of the market.

RD exports almost 100 percent of its output with the United States, Europe and the Middle East as its main markets.

RD started as a pawnshop in 1976 in General Santos and became diversified by 1999.

It registered its deep-sea fishing project with the Board of Investments in 1992. Ten agri-based projects have been registered with the agency.

Today the company has 40 subsidiaries and major divisions engaged in fishing, agribusiness, manufacturing, processing, banking, pawning, insurance, real estate development, hotels and retailing of hardware and fishing supplies.

It is composed of four fishing companies: RD Fishing Industry Inc., RD Tuna Ventures Inc., South Sea Fishing Ventures Philippines Inc. and Asia Pacific Allied Fishing Ventures Corp.

RD is the largest fishing entity in the SOCSKSARGEN region of Mindanao, the country’s undisputed tuna capital. The RD Fishing’s fleet consists of 102 vessels.

The fishholding capacity of the fleet’s super seiners ranges from 450 to 1,200 metric tons; while the reef carriers have a maximum capacity of 2,400 metric tons.

The RD Manufacturing Group is spearheaded by Philbest Canning Corp., a tuna processing plant located in Barangay Tambler, General Santos City. The cannery produces two varieties of canned tuna products – 307 for retail and 603 for food service products. With a manufacturing capacity of 150 metric tons per day, the plant employs more than 1,500 residents in the area.

IOTC drops plans to limit tuna fishing

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 04/06/2009 2:59 PM

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) concluded its 13th annual meeting last week with a deal to drop a plan limiting fishing capacity, following opposition from key member countries, including Indonesia.

Indonesian delegation head Suseno Sukoyono told The Jakarta Post on Sunday the commission had decided to review the plan as members from developing countries believed it would destroy their fishing in-dustries, saying limiting catches would give little room for the industry to grow.

Suseno also said Indonesia, whose fishing industry is comprises mostly traditional fishermen, opposed the plan because it would "endanger the livelihood" of the small businesses.

"It would be detrimental should the commission apply the policy; we would be severely affected," he said.

IOTC executive secretary Alexandro Anganuzzi said during the opening of the meeting that the commission would discuss the limitation of fishing capacity with its member countries.

He added the commission had been concerned with the fact that tuna feedstock in the region was being overfished.

However, as the meeting progressed, the plan, initiated by the European Union, was strongly opposed by other countries, including Australia, which is also worried about disruptions to its fishing industry.

Australia is the IOTC member with the biggest exposure in the Indian Ocean.

Other opposing countries included Oman, Mauritius and India.

Besides delaying the catch limit policy, the meeting also agreed to postpone a plan to limit fishing fleets, as data and proposal from member countries remained incomplete.

Suseno also said it had been agreed during the meeting to retain Anganuzzi as the commission's executive director for the next three years.

"It's our strategy to protect the interests of developing countries, as Anganuzzi represents the FAO *Food and Agricultural Organization*," he said.

The IOTC is an intergovernmental organization under the auspices of the FAO. It has 28 members, including Australia, the UK, Japan and the EU representing the interests of developed UN member states, while Indonesia, Iran and India are among those representing developing ones.

Previously, there was also a proposal to discuss the possibility of the IOTC being separated from the FAO.

However, the proposal was dropped due to opposition from developing countries, Suseno said.

Indonesian representative Nilanto Prabowo said a separation from the FAO might lead to increased control of the organization by developed nations.

The IOTC manages tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjoining seas, with the main objective of promoting both cooperation among members and the sustainability of tuna resources.

Indonesia is the 27th member of the IOTC.

According to the commission, the region produces more than 1 million tons of tuna annually, worth between US$3 billion and $5 billion.

IOTC to impose mandatory certification for tuna products

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/02/2009 3:17 PM

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) plans to impose a mandatory product certification system on its member countries to certify that their tuna products are not caught using illegal practices, before being exported.

The plan was proposed on Wednesday during the third day of the commission's 13th annual meeting in Bali, Indonesia representative Saut Hutagalung said Wednesday.

Tuna products that fail to show the certificate will be prohibited from entering other member countries' markets, Saut says.

"The new regulation aims to reduce the practice of illegal fishing among member countries and also to make sure that the *tuna* capturing system will not affect other species like sharks, sea turtles and sea wolves, which have become endangered species," he said.

The certificate will contain and verify information submitted by fishermen and traders before exporting the fish, specifying the type of fishing boat used when capturing the fish, the fishing equipment used, areas fished and the dates of catches, according to Suseno Sukoyono, who heads the Indonesian delegation to IOTC, which ends on April 3.

No timetable has been set for the new regulations to be introduced, but Saut expects the new regulation imposing a catch documentation requirement in respect of big-eye tuna to be effective starting 2010. Big-eye tuna are amongst the tuna species most threatened by over-fishing.

Saut says that the product certification requirement was initially proposed by the European Union (EU) countries, which since 2008 have required fish product certification for all fish products entering EU member state markets.

"They want a similar system to be applied within IOTC member countries," Saut says.

The certification system maybe one of the platforms strengthening IOTC prior to applying mandatory trade sanctions against illegal fishing practices by its members.

IOTC executive secretary Alexandro Anganuzzi said on Monday that the commission was considering applying trade sanctions, under which member countries would be prevented from receiving any tuna products if the country would be involved in any irresponsible fishing practices.

RI against IOTC plan to separate from FAO

Ika Krismantari, THE JAKARTA POST, BALI | Wed, 04/01/2009 12:10 PM

Indonesia is against a plan from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to separate from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN.

Indonesia’s representative at the 13th annual meeting of the IOTC currently underway in Bali, Nilanto Prabowo, said the organization’s status should remain as it is, which is under the auspices of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), since separation might lead to increased control of the organization by the bigger developed nations.

“We have the interest to retain IOTC’s position under FAO, as the UN organization cares about the existence of the developing countries in the commission,” he said.

IOTC was established in 1996 as an intergovernmental organization under a UN convention.

It has 28 members including Australia, the UK, Japan and the EU representing the interests of developed UN member states, while Indonesia, Iran and India are among those representing developing ones.

Nilanto also said that there were concerns on the part of developing countries about the possibility of changes in the IOTC system should the IOTC split from the FAO.

The IOTC could become a more market-oriented organization with major countries and interests taking control of the commission, Nilanto said, circumstances that could put the tuna industry in developing countries at risk, as they did not have the capacity for full-blown competition with larger competitors.

The proposal to separate from FAO has so far secured the backing of countries like Japan, Australia and New Zealand, but opposition from many developing nations.

Nilanto said China, Iran and India shared the Indonesian position.

This proposal, to leave the FAO, first originated from a recommendation by an independent panel of IOTC, as it saw the management of the commission as too dominated by the UN’s complex bureaucratic system, making it less efficient and often less transparent.

IOTC executive secretary Alexandro Anganuzzi acknowledged the wide difference in opinions between the groups for and against change.

“It is very premature for us to say [about the outcome to separate or not], it will be up to members to do what they want,” he said.

IOTC’s main objective is to promote cooperation among its members to ensure the conservation and optimum utilization of tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean region.

It is holding its 13th annual meeting in Bali from March 30 until April 3 to discuss these issues.

Indonesia, which is the largest tuna producer in the Southeast Asia region, only recently joined the IOTC as a full member in 2007, after previously serving as a cooperating non-contracting party.

In 2008, Indonesia produced 937,000 tons of fish, including 125,933 tons of tuna. The year before, it produced 892,000 tons of fish, including 121,316 tons of tuna.

The country has said earlier in the meeting that it would propose an additional 500 tuna fishing boats to be added to its existing fleet of 874 tuna fishing vessels.

Indonesia proposes 500 more boats to fish for tuna

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali | Mon, 03/30/2009 12:59 PM

Indonesia proposes to expand its tuna fishing fleet by 500 vessels at the 13th meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) in Bali this week.

The Fishery Ministry's director general for ocean fisheries Ali Supardan told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that in a bid to increase the country's tuna production, Indonesia would propose that 500 more vessels be added to its existing fleet of 874 vessels during the 13th Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) being held in Bali this week, starting on Monday.

With more vessels registered with the IOTC, Indonesia would get the chance to significantly expand its tuna fishing areas. Vessels registered with the IOTC are permitted to fish outside of their national territorial fishing waters, so long as they remain within the Indian Ocean region covered by the IOTC regulatory framework.

Director of fisheries sources Nilanto Prabowo told The Jakarta Post that Indonesia was expected to increase its tuna production by 20 percent this year, should the proposal to amend the quota under the IOTC regulations be approved.

According to data from the Central Statistic Agency (BPS), Indonesia produced 125,933 tons of tuna in 2008, a slight increase from 121, 316 tons in 2007. However the proposed substantial expansion in the size of the tuna fishing fleet would have a major impact on the tonnage of tuna landed, although it might take some time to optimize the resulting catch based on the requested quota.

Nilanto said that the proposed increase in the number of tuna fishing vessels to be deployed under the requested amended IOTC quota would have to be phased in step by step as this would require time and substantial investment.

"We will propose the plan during the meeting. About the time frame for the implementation, we will add the number of registered ships gradually," he said, without elaborating.

The proposal is part of an Indonesian strategic plan to have a greater say among tuna producers in the commission and to play a greater role in the tuna fishing industry.

Nilanto said that Indonesia was not alone in proposing an additional quota. The commission was still in the process of determining the number of boats that could be allowed to fish for tuna in the Indian Ocean region in order to maintain a balance between the development of the tuna industry and sustaining the size of tuna reserves.

"Other countries only propose between 25 and 50 additional vessels," Nilanto said, adding that Indonesia's hefty request was reasonable because the country was considered to be among the biggest maritime countries in the world, with its fishing industry expected to show major growth in the coming years.

Data from the Fishery Ministry shows the country's fishery output reached 8.71 million tons last year, up from 8.24 million tons in 2007.

It exported 895,000 tons of fish in 2008, a 4 percent increase from the 854,329 tons it exported in 2007.

Indonesia joined the IOTC as a full member in 2007, after previously serving as a cooperating noncontributing party.

The IOTC is an inter-governmental organization that manages tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas with the main objective of promoting both cooperation among its members and sustainability of tuna resources.

Indonesia is the 27th member of the IOTC.

According to the commission, the region produces more than 1 million tons of tuna annually worth between US$3 billion and $5 billion.

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RI exports tuna worths US$337.89 million

RP, Papua New Guinea to engage in high-level talks on fishery cooperation

BusinessWorld, Philippines,

SAN JUAN, BATANGAS — The Philippines and Papua New Guinea will negotiate a bilateral agreement aimed at fostering fishery cooperation, said Malacañang yesterday.

Press Secretary Cerge M. Remonde said President Gloria M. Arroyo will discuss the agreement during Prime Minister Michael Somare’s four-day stay in the country starting this Saturday.

"The Philippines and Papua New Guinea are members of the so-called Coral Triangle Initiative countries. A joint venture of fisheries will be discussed during the state visit," he said.

Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, and the Solomon Islands are also part of a multilateral alliance to preserve the Coral Triangle environment. All in all, the area spans 6.5 million square kilometers and is home to over 600 reef-building corals and various fish species.

As the most diverse marine region on the planet, the Coral Triangle sustains the lives of nearly 130 million people and contains major spawning and nursery grounds for tuna.

Mr. Somare, who’s arriving in Manila on Saturday, will join Ms. Arroyo in General Santos on Monday to meet with key stakeholders in the tuna industry in the province.

Last week, the World Wide Fund urged Coral Triangle Initiative countries to negotiate for better tuna prices and fair fishing arrangements with other nations.

The six nations of the initiative — Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands — account for around 70% of the world’s tuna catch, including threatened species like big eye and yellowfin tuna.

"Protection and responsible management of these spawning grounds and migratory routes is an essential ecosystem service to the world’s multi-billion dollar tuna industry," WWF Coral Triangle Program head Lida Pet Soede was earlier quoted as saying.

"Taking advantage of this unique asset can help strengthen the position of Coral Triangle countries in their negotiations for fairer prices and fairer fishing arrangements with non-Coral Triangle nations, who also fish in these waters."

On Sunday, the visiting Papua New Guinea leader will attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Luneta Park in the morning before attending mass at San Agustin Church. Mr. Somare will also have a working lunch with business tycoon Lucio Tan after his tour of Intramuros. He will be given full arrival honors at Caticlan airport on Sunday afternoon and Ms. Arroyo will host the state dinner for him at the Shangri-La resort hotel. — B. S. Sto. Domingo

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World Ocean Conference, 11-15 May 2009, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia