REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- All coastal villages must be empowered to improve the downstream fishery industry in order to create added value, according to the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Association (KNTI).

"Coastal villages across the country should be empowered in order to become the centers of the people's economy and downstream fisheries and marine products," KNTI Chairman Riza Damanik affirmed here on Wednesday.

The KNTI chairman reminded that of the over 13 million workers in the fisheries sector, 51 percent are involved in fisheries and aquaculture production, 38 percent in marketing, and only 11 percent in the processing sector.

In the meantime, the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (Kiara) Secretary General Abdul Halim noted that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) should not only handle illegal fishing but also work towards increasing self-reliance in the fish processing industry of the country and comprehensively reform the maritime sector from upstream to downstream.

"Until now, the maritime affairs and fisheries minister's policy related to the independence of the fish processing industry in the country has yet to be finalized," Abdul remarked.

According to Abdul, the KKP should focus on ways to facilitate cooperatives for fishermen and household businesses to engage in increasing the value-add of the fish catch.

To this end, Abdul stated that the CTF should allocate at least 40 percent of its budget to support domestic fish processing activities, especially for cooperatives and household-scale industries.

He also stressed on the importance of KKP's cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian embassies abroad to maximize the marketing activities of domestically processed fish products in foreign markets, including developing marketing strategies.

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