Maluku needs Rp 17.51t for marine resources management

The Jakarta Post, Antara, Ambon | Tue, 05/17/2011

The eastern Indonesian Province of Maluku until 2016 needs a total funds of Rp17.51 trillion for its local marine and fishery resources management program.

"Such an amount of funds is needed for the programs of capture fisheries development, fish cultivation, fish processing, post harvest, fishery resources conservation, and marine and fisheries research and technology," local maritime and fisheries office spokesman Bastian Mainassy said here on Tuesday.

He said that of the Rp17.51 trillion of funds, Rp5.43 billion would be allocated to capture fisheries, Rp4.49 trillion for fish and seaweed cultivation, Rp2.56 trillion for processing fish and seaweed processing factories and their facilities, Rp2.41 trillion for human resources development, and Rp2.61 trillion for for researches.

Bastian said the need of the funds had been conveyed to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry to be accommodated in the state budget with the involvement of private companies.

"We have the potential for sustainable fish around 1.64 million tons per year or 26.3 percent of the national fish but only 300 to 500 tons have been used per year," he said.

Bastian said Maluku fish potential was also supported by fish cultivation areas of 495,300 hectares, fresh water fish cultivation area of 36,251 hectares, and swampy water cultivation area of 191,150 hectares.

US Agriculture Under Secretary visits seafast facility

Antara News, Thu, April 7 2011

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Bogor, W Java (ANTARA News) - US Agriculture Undersecretary Michael T Scuse and his delegation visited the Southeast Asian Food and Agricultural Science and Technology Center (SEAFAST) in Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), Thursday to observe the facility.

The US agriculture delegation`s visit in Bogor was to observe the research infrastructure at the facility, Scuse said here Thursday.

"So the main purpose is to see the SEAFAST facility, and see how the researchers work, " he said.

Scuse also expressed his amazement at the completeness of the facility`s equipment.

Scuse also said Indonesia and the US had a comprehensive partnership which gives an opportunity for cooperation to assist people`s welfare programs.

IPB SEAFAST Center head Purwiyanto Hariyadi said that Michael Scuse`s visit would open better and broader opportunities fot agricultural cooperation in the future.

"Further, the assistance needed will be more in the form of capacity building, agricultural student and researchers exchanges, and many more forms," he said.

According to the US Embassy to Indonesia`s Senior Information Specialist Public Affairs Section Indar Juniardi said that Michael Scuse was appointed as the USDA Acting under Secretary for the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS) by the US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on April 2009.

Scuse`s main task is to handle programs within the FFAS`s mission scope, where the FFAS is appointed to broaden and form a new market for American products, increase US agriculture competitive position also to provide technical assistance and food grants abroad.

Scuse had bee the chairman of the Association of State Agricultural Department in the northeast region, and during his tenure he managed to eradicate the avian flu virus with the help of the University of Delaware and local poultry industries.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Fourteen die after eating toxic sardines in Madagascar

BBC News, 6 April 2011

Related Stories 

• Country profile: Madagascar

At least 14 people have died in Madagascar after eating toxic sardines.

Samples of the sardines have
been sent for analysis

Officials say more than 120 people remain seriously ill after the incident in the south-western town of Toliara.

The government sent its condolences to the victims' families, promising to foot the medical bills of those being treated in hospital.

Samples of the sardines have been sent for analysis. In previous incidents, researchers said the contaminated sardines had eaten poisonous seaweed.

They say seaweed has proliferated among Madagascar's coral reefs as global warming changes the sea conditions.

Japan fears radioactive contamination of marine life

Fukushima coastal waters sees high levels of radioactive iodine, which could build up in seaweed commonly eaten in Japan

guardian.co.uk, Ian Sample , science correspondent, Wednesday 30 March 2011

Radioactivity fears deliver a double whammy to Japanese fisheries which
have already been badly hit by the tsunami. Photograph: Everett Kennedy Brown/EPA

High levels of radiation in the sea off the coast of Fukushima have raised concerns over harm to local marine life and the risk of contaminated fish, shellfish and seaweed entering the food chain.

Tests on seawater near the nuclear power plant showed that levels of radioactive iodine reached 3,355 times the legal limit on Monday, one of several peaks in recent days that have fallen rapidly as radioactive substances decayed and were steadily diluted and dispersed by ocean currents.

Officials are watching levels of iodine-131 in seawater because although it has a half-life of eight days, meaning it is half as radioactive after that time, the substance builds up in seaweed, a common food in the Japanese diet. If consumed, radioactive iodine collects in the thyroid and can cause cancer.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said iodine-131 in seawater would "soon be of no concern" presuming there are no further discharges of contaminated water from the power station into the sea.

The IAEA added that Japanese authorities have released the first analyses of fish, caught at the port of Choshi, in Chiba prefecture south of Fukushima, which found one of five to be contaminated with a detectable level of caesium-137, a far more persistent radioactive substance, though at a concentration that was far below safety limits for consumption.

Many countries, including Britain, have begun radiation testing of fish, shellfish and other fresh produce from Japan or have imposed wider bans on imports from the region. Fisheries are not entering waters within the 20km (12-mile) exclusion zone around Fukushima, said Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

The fate of many local seafood and shellfish farms, including scallops, oysters, sea urchins and sea snails, was sealed more than two weeks ago when the tsunami wiped out beds and destroyed fishing vessels and ports around Fukushima. In Iwate prefecture, authorities say the disaster may have wiped out businesses that account for 80% of the revenue of the region's fisheries.

At the Fukushima power plant, engineers continued the arduous task of trying to pump contaminated water from turbine rooms and trenches, which is hampering work to connect the reactor cooling systems to the national grid.

Tepco, the power station operator, plans to spray parts of the site with a resin to stop radioactive dust blowing off the site and is considering shrouding the reactor buildings with sheets to reduce radiation being released into the air.

Fish and other sea creatures are unlikely to be seriously harmed by the radioactive leaks, even in the most contaminated areas. After the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, fish in three freshwater lakes within the exclusion zone became contaminated with radioactive caesium but showed no obvious health problems, though some fish were born with reproductive abnormalities which may have been caused by radiation, said James Smith, an environmental physicist at Portsmouth University who studied fish in the area.

While fish accumulate radioactive contamination, this happens less in the ion-rich waters of the oceans than in freshwater lakes.

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Ministries Agree to Intensify Seaweed Cultivation in Least Developed Regions

Antara News, Sat, February 26 2011

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Six ministries have agreed to intensify cultivation and production of seaweed as part of efforts to boost the economies of seven least developed provinces, an official said.

"The Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry will intensify production of seaweed in cooperation with five other ministries, namely the Least Regional Development Ministry, the Industry Ministry, the Trade Ministry, the Cooperatives and Small-Medium-Scale Ministry and the Investment Coordinating Board," Head of the marine affairs and fisheries ministry`s statistical data and information division said in a press statement here, Friday.

The joint agreement among the six ministries was aimed at accelerating the economic development of the people in the disadvantaged regions in seven provinces - namely South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Maluku, North Maluku, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

The agreement included activities in training, assistance, technical guidance, business sector development, the creation of conducive business climate, the promotion facility promotion, and the seaweed cultivation marketing domestically and overseas.

The cooperation in the seaweed cultivation in the seven provinces would be effective for four years.

According to the ministry`s data, the seaweed production in 2010 reached 3.082 million tons, up from 2.574 million tons in 2009.

The productions from 2011 to 2014 are expected to reach 3.504 million tons, 5.1 million tons, 7.5 million tons, and 10 million tons respectively.

Indonesia is striving to produce 10 million tons of seaweed per by 2015, making it the number one producing country, replacing the Philippines.

Minister Fadel Muhammad said when speaking in the Third Seaweed International Business Forum and Exhibition (Seabfex) in Surabaya, East Java, July 2010 that in the next two years the target might partly be achieved especially in view of the vast seaweed cultivating grounds in Indonesia`s eastern parts, like East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Maluku, and North Maluku.

Editor: AA Ariwibowo

More fund for people`s empowerment in outermost islands

Antara News, Sun, February 13, 2011

Karimun, Riau islands province (ANTARA News) - Riau Islands province has received an allocation of 232 billion rupiah (approximately 26 million US dollars) for poverty eradication and empowerment of people living in outermost islands bordering with other countries.

"The 232 billion rupiah had been included in the budget of regencies and town of Riau Island province for poverty eradication and empowerment of the people living in outermost islands," Riau Islands Governor H.M. Sani said in Tanjung Balai Karimun on Sunday.

Sani said that the budget was for the implementation of various programs such as rehabilitation of damaged houses, seaweed cultivation, construction of educational and health facilities and infrastructure facilities for supporting the improvement of the rural economy.

"We hope that every regency and town will cooperate in supporting the concept that we will be launched this year. We hoped this concept will narrow the development gap between the towns and the outlying islands," he said.

The key in the concept of the programs, according to the governor, will be the provision of incentives for fishermen and the development of seaweed cultivation. Seaweed has been selected as a prioritized commodity as it originated from the waters of the province.

Former Marine Affairs and Fishery Minister Rokhmin Dahuri, an expert in marine resources development, was said to be included in the expert team to support the seaweed cultivation program.

Sani added that the concept for the empowerment of people living in outermost islands in the province was in line with the national program launched by the central government. Therefore he expected that the central government would soon approve the special fund allocation he had submitted to Jakarta.

In addition, Riau Island province will set up a border board which will handle the development programs and people empowerment in the border areas.

Editor: Ruslan

Southeast Sulawesi to have seaweed processing plants soon

Antara, Otniel Tamindael, Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Southeast Sulawesi provincial government`s dream to have seaweed processing plants will soon be realized this year.

The seaweed processing plants will soon be established in the districts of Muna and Wakatobi in an effort to step up regional revenue.

"Two large-scale seaweed processing plants will in the near future be established respectively in the districts of Muna and Wakatobi," Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam said in the provincial city of Kendari on Tuesday.

Nur Alam said he had asked all regional working units (SKPD) in the province to direct the people economic empowerment funds to the two districts where the seaweed processing plants would be established.

"The cooperatives and small and medium businesses (UKM) have the people economic empowerment funds of around Rp19 billion, and therefore I hope the funds will be directed to assist the development of seaweed cultivation in Wakatobi and Muna districts," Nur Alam said.

According to the governor, the local government would also fully support the development of seaweed cultivation in Wakatobi and Muna districts following the establishment of the two processing industries of the commodity there.

He added the existence of two seaweed processing plants in Wakatobi and Muna was expected to open a wider job opportunities for the people of the two districts in particular and those of South Sulawesi in general.

"In principle, the establishment of the two seaweed processing industries will open a wider job opportunity for the local people, and in turn it will improve the welfare of Southeast Sulawesi people as a whole," the governor said.

Meanwhile, Wakatobi District Development Planning Agency spokesman Abdul Manan said the establishment of seaweed processing industries in the districts of Muna and Wakatobi would directly be handled by seven ministries in the United Indonesia Cabinet phase 2 through the local economic development program.

According to Abdul Manan, the seven ministries were among others Ministry for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (UKM), State Enterprises Ministry (BUMN), Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Trade Ministry, Industry Ministry, and State Ministry for Disadvantaged Regions.

He said the seven ministries would also help the local people manage the seaweed seedling, cultivation, and post-harvest handling to meet the demand of the two processing industries.

Abdul Manan added that in Wakatobi alone the seaweed potential was big enough and could reach hundreds of tons per year for the local economic development.

"Wakatobi coastal area has a total of 4,721 hectares which are very potential for seaweed cultivation but unfortunately only around 734 hectares have been used so far," Abdul Manan said.

Southeast Sulawesi maritime and fisheries office spokesman Abdul Salam has ever said in Kendari that seaweed commodity in the province was in abundance and therefore many domestic and foreign investors had expressed their eagerness to invest.

"But unfortunately the prices of the seaweed commodity in the province are unstable because many middlemen intentionally want to damage the prices," he said.

Therefore he added that the abundant commodity should be processed into half done material through a processing industry.

He said the province has very strategic waters for seaweed cultivation and its potential is promising for the development of the seaweed industry.

According to him, investment of seaweed in Southeast Sulawesi should be promoted by the government and the farmers.

Through the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry, Indonesia is working out an ambitious plan to make itself a world seaweed production center in the coming five years.

To achieve this goal, the government is planning to create 60 seaweed cultivation clusters, restrict and then stop dried seaweed exports and build local seaweed processing industries, although they have yet to be developed optimally.

So far, only about 15 percent of Indonesia`s seaweed exports are in the form of processed products while the remaining 85 percent are in the form of dried seaweed.

In order to increase supply for domestic seaweed processing industries, a seaweed cluster development scheme was launched in various parts of the country.

The efforts to cultivate seaweed cluster schemes are being made to integrate upstream and downstream processing so that production can become optimal and have added value.

In Southeast Sulawesi the seaweed farming is a predominant activity, largely because of the accessibility of protected inshore waters and the ideal ambient environmental conditions.

The commonly cultured seaweed is Kappaphycus cottoni (formerly Eucheuma).

Unlike grouper and lobster farming, seaweed farming is typically a family activity, with all adults of the household being involved in one way or the other.

The seaweed farming in the province is conducted in community-based clusters with each consisting of 10 to 15 families.

Although seaweed farming is currently profitable, it is also a farming system that is very environmentally friendly as it is carbon sequestering.

Meanwhile, seaweed product in South Sulawesi province this year is targeted to reach 880,000 tons.

South Sulawesi provincial administration spokesman for economic affairs Amal Natsir said in Makassar on Wednesday that the province mainstay commodity had a bigger overseas market opportunity following a food diversification program in a number of target countries.

Baubau seaweed production reaches 2,563.7 tons

Antara News, Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Baubau, S.E.Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The seaweed production of Baubau city in South East Sulawesi reached 2,563.7 tons during the planting season in 2010, head of aquaculture of Baubau city`s marine and fishery office, Ahman, said here Wednesday.

Baubau city`s seaweed production in 2010 increased from last year`s 2,261.2 tons, he added.

"Of this volume, the highest production is reached in Lea-lea sub district and the second largest in Kokalukuna sub district," Ahman said.

He added, the seaweed potential areas in Baubau covered 660 hectares in five districts, namely Murhum, Betoambari, Kokalukuna, Bungi and Lea-lea.

"Of the big potential of seaweed farming areas, approximately 111.6 hectares have come to advantage," Ahman noted.

He said in 2009 however seaweed production dropped due to bad weather conditions in Baubau, causing ce-ice disease and a loss.

"This year, on the contrary, despite rainfalls throughout the year, seaweed production increased," Ahman said.

He added that after harvest, the seaweed farmers sold their commodity to collectors in Baubau, who sold it to Surabaya in East Java for processing.

Seaweed Production Provides Alternative Income for Fishpond Farmers

Tempo Interactive, Tuesday, 23 November, 2010 | 15:24 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Brebes: Seaweed cultivation in Brebes has saved the economy of fishpond farmers, whose ponds have been inundated by sea water since the beginning of last year. “We survived by letting seaweed grow, and fortunately the price is currently improving,” said Wirangrong Renggolo, Tambak Mina Mandiri Farmers’ Group Chief in Randusanga Kulon, Brebes.

According to Wirangrong, seaweed cultivation has become their alternative source of income. “We still hope to raise fish again. Seaweed is only for our survival,” he said yesterday.

Muhammad Supriyono, the Brebes Disaster Management Agency executive director, following the fishpond farmers’ complaint, said he will immediately coordinate with related offices to save the residents’ ponds. “This involves the public works and irrigation offices,” he said. Since the regent position is still vacant, this issue is being handled by simple methods.

EDI FAISOL

Indonesia, US Sign Up to Preserve Nusa Penida’s Marine Environment

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana | November 21, 2010

Nusa Penida, Bali. The Indonesian and US governments have announced a new initiative to establish a marine conservation area in the waters around Nusa Penida Island, to the southeast of Bali.

The conservation area will cover 200 square kilometers of waters around the island, and become part of the larger national conservation area totalling 200,000 square kilometers across the archipelago by 2020.

The Nusa Penida initiative has already received Rp 100 billion ($11.2 million) in funding from USAID, through the Coral Triangle Support Partnership, according to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad.

Of the fund, Rp 960 million will go toward helping seaweed farmers improve productivity, as part of the government’s target to boost seaweed production in Nusa Penida from 117,000 tons a year to 500,000 tons a year.

Fadel said the richness of the marine diversity around Nusa Penida deserved to be studied in greater depth.

“We’ll manage this conservation area in the same way that Brazil successfully manages the Amazon,” he said at a ceremony to inaugurate the area on Sunday.

The biodiversity around the island, he added, was apparent in a 2009 marine survey performed by scientists Emre Turak and Gerry Allen, which uncovered 296 coral species and 576 fish species, five of which were previously undiscovered.

Fadel also noted that a study by the Nature Conservancy’s Indonesian Marine Program had found 1,419 hectares of coral reef, 230 hectares of mangrove forest with 13 species of mangroves, and 108 seaweed patches with eight types of seaweed.

“We’ll also build a seaweed cultivation center here as well as a seaweed processing plant,” the minister said.

“In addition, we’ll build fish processing plants so that the fish caught in these waters will be ready and packed for shipment.

“We’ll also enlist the local community’s assistance in helping safeguard the waters.”

He added other aims of establishing the conservation area included to encourage fishermen to adopt sustainable fishing practices, and to boost tourism in the area.

US Ambassador Scot Marciel, who also attended Sunday’s event, said Indonesia was well-placed to support global conservation efforts, which made it an important partner for the United States, including in efforts to preserve marine ecosystems.

“We see the marine environment as key to the sustainability of humans,” Marciel said.

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Seaweed to be Lampung`s leading commodity

Antara News, Friday, October 22, 2010 16:27 WIB

Kalianda, Lampung Selatan (ANTARA News) - Lampung Selatan district administration will increase seaweed product as one of leading commodity.

Local district government spokesman Sutono said here on Friday that Lampung Selatan has an extensive area for seaweed cultivation because such a commodity has a high economic value.

Sutono said that with its high economic value, seaweed would be one of leading commodity that could improve the welfare of the people at coastal areas in Lampung Selatan district.

According to him, Lampung Selatan has wide seaweed cultivation area to step up the amount of the commodity for local consumption and for export.

In addition, he said the district also needed investors to develop the seaweed cultivation potential, because the business of that commodity was run by local businessmen with limited capital.

Therefore the seaweed produced by the local farmers would be unable to meet the market demand.

Meanwhile, a Lampung Selatan investment office spokesman said that most of seaweed cultivation operation in the district`s coastal area was small in scale because it was managed with traditional method and supported by limited capital.

He said the market demand for seaweed from Lampung Selatan was high enough and with modern cultivation methods and sufficient capital it would be even higher.

Malaysia Interested in Banyuwangi Sea Weed

Tempo Interactive, Friday, 28 May, 2010 | 01:57 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Surabaya: Malaysia has started to notice the potential of sea Weed in Banyuwangi, East Java.

A Malaysain food producer, PT Adabi, recently conduct a survey on sea weed (Eucheuma Cottoni) at the production center in Wongsorejo Sub-district, Banyuwangi.

According to the Section Head of Farmers Empowerment of Banyuwangi Maritime and Fisheries Office, Suryono Bintang Samudra, PT Adabi is interested in making Banyuwangi sea weed as raw material for food industry because of its high carrageenan content.

Carrageenan is extracted from seaweed to be used in food industry because its jelly characteristic thicken and stabilize the main ingredient.

Suyono said that if exports to Malaysia could be realized, he is optimistic that it will encourage Banyuwangi fisherman to cultivate seaweed.

Because from 4,100 hectare of seaweed potential, there is only 10 percent of land used with a production of 10-13 tons per day.

“Meanwhile, our production target is 20 ton,” he said.

The areas which become center of seaweed culture are Wongsorejo, Muncar and Pesanggaran subdistricts.

Meanwhile, seaweed from Banyuwangi is still bought by local market, like Bali and Surabaya.

“We have not exported it yet,” he said.

The still low seaweed production in Banyuwangi, he said, is caused by the too long seaweed harvest, which needs 40-45 days.

“This is what makes fishermen not enthusiastic about seaweed culture.”

IKA NINGTYAS

RI ranked 11th as world fishery exporter

Antara News, Thursday, May 6, 2010 16:18 WIB

Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is ranked 11th on the list of the world`s fishery exporter countries with exports worth US$1.79 billion, a trade official said.

"Indonesia`s market share in the world`s fishery exports accounts for 1.74 percent of the world`s total fishery exports," Djoko Purnomo, head of the fishery export affairs of the Directorate General of External Trade, said here on Thursday.

He said that the world`s fishery exports in 2008 were recorded at US$72.67 billion, or an increase of 7.94 percent if compared with that in 2005 which stood at US$57.66 billion.

Indonesia`s fishery product export destinations included the United States (29.04 percent), Japan (16.90 percent), China (3.66 percent), Hong Kong (3.14 percent), Singapore (3.05 percent), Thailand 2(.34 percent), Malaysia (2.23 percent) and South Korea (2.18 percent).

The country`s fishery exports were dominated by shrimps worth US$845 million (47 percent) followed by frozen fish valued at 228 million dollars, or 12 percent, fresh fish worth 225 million dollars (12 percent), fillet, fish meat and seaweeds.

According to Purnomo, Indonesia`s major exporter provinces in Indonesia`s western region included East Java, Jakarta, North Sumatra, Lampung and Central Java.

In the eastern region, major exporter provinces are South Sulawesi, Bali, Maluku, North Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi, he said.

EU to lift mercury testing on RI edible fish products

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/23/2010 10:51 AM

Indonesian edible fish products destined for European markets will no longer be subject to rigorous mercury detection inspections, an association says.

“Indonesia has managed to relax a European Union (EU) regulation — starting April 16. (Indonesia’s)

sea catches will no longer be subject to mercury inspections,” Indonesian Fisheries Processing

and Marketing Entrepreneurs Association chairman Thomas Darmawan told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The heavy metal detection requirement has been in place since 2006. The regulation was passed in 2006 after an EU commission team found that fisheries products imported from Indonesia and intended for human consumption spoiled quickly and contained high levels of histamine.

The inspections also revealed that Indonesian authorities did not carry out reliable inspections of fish, in particular to detect histamine and heavy metals, the 2006 Commission Decision said.

A letter sent last month by the Food Standards Agency, an independent government department with headquarters in the United Kingdom, said the European Commission proposed to revoke the 2006 Commission

Decision, which requires heavy metal testing on all imports of non-aquaculture fishery products from Indonesia.

“The Commission has now received appropriate guarantees from the Indonesian authorities that controls are in place to ensure products meet EU requirements as regards to heavy metals,” the letter said.

“Also, the results of import controls at EU Border Inspection Posts indicate that imports are satisfactory.”

Although it lifts a mercury testing requirement, the EU has increased the strictness of antibiotics testing on farmed fishery products from Indonesia.

It now stipulates that a minimum 20 percent of consignments be tested, up from 10 percent, according

to Thomas.

“The issue of antibiotics is actually an old problem,” he said.

“We actually have improved now. But maybe an [EU] inspection team found unsatisfactory results during their visit here last November.”

The FSA in its letter said that at least 20 percent of consignments of farmed fisheries products from Indonesia intended for human consumption would be subjected at Border Inspection Posts to sampling for testing for pharmacologically active substances, in particular chloramphenicol, metabolites of nitrofurans and tetracyclines (including tetracycline, oxytetracycline and chlortecycline).

According to Thomas, Indonesia exported US$146.6 million worth of shrimp, $34.29 million of tuna, $21.24 million of seaweed and $100.54 million of processed fish (excluding tuna and shrimp), to Europe in 2009.

Central Statistics Agency data showed that non-oil and gas exports to the EU stood at $2.59 billion in the first two months of this year, up by 37.8 percent from the $1.88 billion booked in that period last year.

Indonesia’s Seaweed Export Value to China up by 400 Percent

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 22 April, 2010 | 16:05 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Makassar: China has become South Sulawesi’s biggest seaweed market. This can be seen from the export value that skyrocketed from US$ 2,574 million in 2008 to US$ 10,603 million 2009, a 400 percent increase.

“The reason is simple; China has just imported seaweed directly from us,” said Arman Arfah, chairman of South Sulawesi Farmer and Seaweed Processor Association, yesterday.

Earlier, Indonesia’s main destination for seaweed exports was the Philippines. Then, China imported the commodity from the Philippines. However, since the Indonesian Seaweed Forum was held in Makassar in 2008, Indonesia began exporting directly to China.

The international forum is held every three years. The next assembly will take place in 2011.

In general, the export value of Indonesia’s seaweed from 2008 to 2009 increased by five percent. The total export value in 2009 amounted to US$ 17,619 million.

Indonesia is ranked fourth in the world’s seaweed exporter list. Indonesia’s major seaweed market is China, the Philippines, South Korea, Chile, and Vietnam.

The government continues to intensify programs improving seaweed production. At present, the country produces two million tons of wet seaweed per year. Meanwhile the Maritime and Fishery Ministry’s target for 2014 is 10 million tons per year.

The government is also making efforts to improve and set a standard quality. The world’s demand in wet seaweed is six million tons per year.

To avoid excessive production if the government’s target is achieved, the South Sulawesi Farmer and Seaweed Processor Association is implementing a program promoting the consumption of seaweed and healthy fibrous foods.

“Seaweed is healthy, so we should not export all of it,” Arman said.

FADHILAH NAZIF