REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia supports creation of ecolabel system to sustain fishery resources and environmental preservation, an official said.

"There are many ecolabel standards for fishery already practiced in Indonesia," Executive Director of the Indonesian Association of Small Crab Management (APRI) Arie Prabawa said on Wednesday quoting Fishery Marketing and Processing Director General Saut P Hutagalung.

Among the standards Arie cited GLOBAL G.A.P (Good Agricultural Practices), Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for shrimp breeding.

Arie Prabawa, who took part in the three-day Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) conference in Bali, ending on Wednesday, said Indonesia has also started the process of certification for its sea fishes in a bid to preserve sea fishery and to improve its market competitiveness.

He said the the government has not required the fishing companies to have the MSC certificate although MSC has good principles worth following.

However, the government encourages fishing companies to follow the ecolabel principles for the fishery preservation in the forms of Fishery Improvement Project (FIP), he said.

Saut said currently the process of MSC ecolabeling certification has been in progress for tuna fish and small crabs.

Ari Prabawa said APRI is the first to move toward adoption of ecolabeling system by carrying out MSC initial assessment in 2009.

The result of the MSC initial assessment was suggestion to improve indicators of MSC before carrying out full assessment, he said.

He said APRI proceeded with FIP activities for five years to meet the MSC criteria.

He said APRI cooperates with the Center for the Management of Fishery and Conservation of Fishery Resources to ensure preservation of small crab stock.

It also cooperates with the Center for Fish Catching and Development (BPPI) in Semarang to ensure fishery conservation and the impact on by-catch of other fishes.

In addition it has established cooperation with the Bandung Institute of Agriculture , the University of Diponegoro (Undip), the University of General Sudirman (Unsoed), The directorate general of sea fishing , fishermen community groups , regional and district administrations and nongovernmental organizations like Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) to develop good governance in small crab fishery .

Ari said in 2014 , APRI plans to carry out MSC-preassessment again of crab fishery to increase the capacity and supervision over progress already made in the development of crab fishery.

Cassie Leisk from MSC said the Bali conference was the second after the first which succeeded in developing the fishery sector.

The conference was focused on fishery development in emerging nations with special emphasis on "MSC-preassessment" of fishery to reach MSC certification.

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