REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti said she wanted fishery entrepreneurs from neighboring countries to buy fish from Indonesia at seaports in the country.

The minister's remarks came in response to the government's recent decision to ban the transhipment of Indonesian fish in the sea by foreign-flagged ships. The policy aims to prevent illegal fishing activities, where Indonesian fish is transported to a third country and sold there.

"We want them to buy directly from us," said Pudjiastuti.

Meanwhile, Chief of Marine Affairs and Fisheries at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Yugi Prayanto noted that his organization supports the government's goal of making Indonesia the global center for fish processing.

"We are optimistic that the movement will increase the national fish export value from US$4.1 billion in 2013 to US$40 billion in 2019," stated Prayanto.

However, Prayanto stressed that the government needs to set a national standard for local fishery products, which is the first step toward Indonesian products being officially registered at the national and international levels.

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