REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia's exports of fishery products increased in 2018 as compared to the previous year, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti stated here on Tuesday. Pudjiastuti remarked while highlighting the achievements of the Joko Widodo administration in the past four years at the State Secretariat that fishery exports had reached US$2.27 billion, or up 12.88 percent, during the January-June period as compared to $2 billion during the same period in 2017.

"The export value in 2018 will be much higher than that in 2017, as we have recorded US$2.27 billion (of exports) in two quarters, which means an increase of 12.88 percent," she noted.

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Export volume during the period had reached 510 thousand tons, or a 7.21 percent increase, as compared to 475 thousand tons in the corresponding period in 2017.

The minister claimed that fishermen had applied sustainable fishing practices by only catching bigger fish, with higher selling price. Pudjiastuti denied accusations that fishery exports had declined, as some of the products are exported as instant food.

"Several of the fishery exports are of processed products. If we look at whole fish under the HS code, of course, we cannot see (the increase). However, we can notice the increase in exports of other products, such as fishball, nuggets, and surimi," she elaborated.

During four years of Joko Widodo's administration, the government has committed to materializing sovereignty in the catch fisheries sector through the policy to eradicate illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

The minister also admitted to having promoted the campaign to consume fish as part of the efforts to improve the quality of human resources that had become the main focus of the industrial revolution 4.0.

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