Ministry develops area-based modeling to boost aquaculture exports

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has developed area-based modeling for five main commodities to accelerate the development of sustainable aquaculture and boost the production of Indonesia's main export commodities.

The five main commodities are shrimp, seaweed, tilapia, crab, and lobster.

"The development prioritizes the principles of environmental sustainability as well as the absorption of local workers," said Tb Haeru Rahayu, Director General of Aquaculture, in a statement from his ministry on Tuesday.

"It is hoped that from the modeling development program and revitalization of shrimp ponds, there will be an increase in Indonesian shrimp exports to US$2.1 billion in 2024," he added.

Rahayu said that modeling for seaweed cultivation has also been developed in Wakatobi district, Southeast Sulawesi.

The ministry is currently preparing a seaweed modeling development program in Southeast Maluku district, Maluku, and Rote Ndao district, East Nusa Tenggara.

"With the modeling development program, it is hoped that Indonesia's seaweed exports will increase to US$658 million in 2024," he said.

The ministry is also preparing a modeling program for saline tilapia cultivation through the revitalization of shrimp ponds, which have lain idle, on the north coast of Java.

The program will encourage the transfer of cultivation from lake-based to land-based and is also expected to help increase the value of Indonesian tilapia exports to US$77 million in 2024.

The ministry will also prepare a crab cultivation modeling program to increase crab exports to US$476 million this year.

Meanwhile, the lobster cultivation modeling program will seek to encourage the strengthening of cultivation through collaboration with countries that have developed lobster cultivation and by inviting investment into Indonesia, so that the nation's lobster exports can increase to US$25 million this year.

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"Aquaculture is one of the business sectors that has succeeded in gaining the largest portion of investment in the marine and fisheries sector," Raharyu noted.

He added that based on data for the third quarter of 2023, the aquaculture sub-sector is ranked second after fisheries processing, with a proportion of 27 percent.