REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The "Eat Fish Movement" (Gemarikan) launched by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) should be made an inter-ministerial program, so that it yields optimal results, according to the People's Coalition for Fishery Justice (Kiara).

"A booklet providing information that could be accessed by school-aged children or by secondary school graduates should be made available," Kiara Secretary General Abdul Halim noted here on Thursday.

He explained that in this way, the movement to increase fish consumption and protein intake could also be implemented at the inter-ministerial level, such as through the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Halim reminded that Gemarikan can boost fish intake, although the information would only be accessible to the people in urban areas.

"This is regardless of the fact that fish consumption in villages or coastal areas is also high," he pointed out.

Halim suggested allocating a state budget to boost the consumption of fresh fish in elementary and secondary schools.

The KKP minister believes that eating more fish will be useful in increasing protein intake among people and in ensuring optimum growth and development of Indonesian children.

"In the past 10 years, one (in three) Indonesian children was below the average height due to an inadequate diet," KKP Minister Susi Pudjiastuti stated on Wednesday.

According to KKP's written statement made available to Antara on Thursday (March 24), the country's per capita fish consumption per annum was recorded at 42.11 kilogram (kg) in 2015, exceeding the target set at 40.90 kg per capita per annum.

In 2014, fish production for domestic consumption was set at 13.07 million tons, up 10.01 percent from that in 2013.

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