REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA - Japan pours its investment worth five billion USD in sea eel or unagi breeding. The initial capital -70 percent from japan and 30 percent from Indonesia, PT AI Cahaya Yogyakarta from Yogyakarta will develop in breeding, processing and exporting of sea eel or unagi to Japan.
"We will rent 7.5 hectares ponds belong to Department of Marine and Fisheries in Sleman then the ponds will be managed by farmers," Commissioner of PT AI Cahaya Yogyakarta, Hari Dandi said on Thursday.
Those farmers will share their knowledge in sea eel breeding to their community.
Indonesia is known as sea eel's seed exporter. In Yogyakarta, eel's seed comes from five sources especially Bogowonto and Progo. Other sources are including Pelabuhanratu, Cidaun, South Garut, Maros, and Baubau.
According to Dandi, Indonesia and Japan cannot aquaculture sea eel aquaculture. Japanese love the sea eel's nutrient content is higher than salmon. Japan implement strict regulation that only sea eel with weigh no less than 150 grams can be captured and exported.