REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, said most marine and fisheries exports from neighboring countries such as China and Thailand were sourced from Indonesia.
"Their exports was approximately 70-90 percent from our oceans," said Susi Pudjiastuti, in a National Coordination Meeting 2015 of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, titled "Future Sea Nation," Thursday (10 / 9).
In fact, Susi recalled that based on data from Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) during 2003 to 2013, there were 115 fishing companies closed. Most of them were closed due to lack of raw material of marine resources in Indonesia.
"If the 115 fishing companies export per year was about 10 million dollars, it means that there was more than 1 billion dollars that has been missing from our export," she said.
Previously, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries wanted to negotiate with Japan, in order to reduce tariffs commodities of Indonesian marine and fisheries sector in entering Japan.
"The schedule for negotiations between Indonesia and Japan have not been determined, but the ministry expects the results of negotiations may be obtained before the end of 2016," said Director General of Processing and Marketing of Fishery, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Saut Hutagalung, Tuesday (18/8).
He said the decrease of tariffs will be strategic since Japan becomes the second largest export market for Indonesia fishery the US. Moreover,over the last three years, export of fishery products from Indonesia to Japan has decreased by about six percent per year.