Minister: Indonesia's Seaweed Has Comparative Advantage

Jakarta, Jan 16 (ANTARA)- Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo has said Indonesia`s seaweed has comparative advantage because the country has a high diversity of seaweed and resources. The ministry will boost the downstreaming process of seaweed production in order to boost the exports of processed seaweed products, the minister said here on Wednesday at the International Seaweed Symposium (ISS). The processed seaweed products that will be increased their quantity are ATC (Alkali Treated Cotonii), SRC (Semi Refine Caraginan), and RC (Refine Caraginan). The downstreaming process will also help create more job opportunities, improve the added value and strengthen the industrial structure in the country, he said. The seaweed business is aimed at improving the welfare of people living in coastal areas, he stated. The seaweed industrialization is expected to increase the export by up to 70-80 percent, and decrease the Carrageenan import at 1,320 tons, he said. As the raw materials for industry, seaweed has more than 500 end-products, he said. Indonesia has a total of 1,110,900 ha area for aquaculture activities including for seaweed farming. The country`s seaweed production in 2011 was 5.17 million tons. In 2014, Indonesia has set a target of wet seaweed production at 10 million tons or for dried seaweed at one million tons. "Based on that calculation, seaweed has become a main commodity in the fishery industry," the minister said.