RI ENTERTAINING AMBITIOUS FISH PRODUCTION PLAN By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 17 (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) under its new chief, Fadel Muhammad, has come up with an ambitious plan to raise fish production by over 300 percent and 'transform' the country into the world's biggest fish production center in the coming five years.

"I would say that this can be achieved with serious effort and additional funds. I think I am able to do it," Fadel Muhammad --who was appointed minister for the portfolio last month-- said in a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission IV on fisheries affairs, on Monday.

Fadel said he was convinced the target to raise Indonesia's fish production by over 300 percent in the next five years could be achieved by increasing the state funds allocation for fisheries and launching fish cultivation programs.

For the initial program, an additional budget of Rp1.6 trillion was needed with a target of 27 percent production growth in 2010. The program for the entire five-year period would need Rp6 trillion to boost production growth to 300 percent in 2014.

"The target is to increase fishery products by 353 percent. It sounds ambitious but we will boost production from the fish cultivation sector," Fadel Muhammad said.

He said that the DKP had asked for additional funds amounting to Rp1.6 trillion in the 2010 state budget which the finance minister had agreed to. "Now we need the approval of the House Commission IV," he said.

The funds were needed to accelerate the development of cultivation activity which included in-pond fish breeding and 'minapolitan' programs. 'Minapolitan' is a program which combines agriculture and fisheries aimed at raising the income of farmers and fishermen.

The minapolitan scheme could be carried out, among others, with a 'mina padi' program where fields were planted with rice while at the same time fingerlings were released in the fields' water so that the fields could yield rice and fish at the same time.

Fish Cultivation Affairs Director General Made L Nurjana said the Rp1.6 trillion would constitute an initial capital to carry out the plan for achieving the 353-percent target. He said that in order to achieve the target of a 353 percent increase in fish cultivation in 2014, a total of Rp6 trillion would be needed. In the first year, a growth of 27 percent could be achieved, he added.

With the success of the program, Fadel was confident that Indonesia could emerge as the world biggest fish producer in 2012. "Indonesia should become a center of fish production so that it could control the world's fish trade," the minister said.

He said that Indonesia had the marine and fresh water potentials which were not possessed by all countries. Thus, it would not face significant barriers to achieve the target.

"Facilities at fish auction markets, access roads and fishermen's fuel tanks to meet the need for fishing activities must also be improved and be made complete," the minister said.

He said right now Indonesia was the world's fourth biggest producer of fishery and marine products, after China, Peru and the United States. "We must be proud that we are among the world's five major fishery and marine product countries," he said.

To maintain the position, he said, the government hoped production could be increased by up to 300 percent nationwide.

To ensure its achievement he met with House Commission IV on Monday to ask for the legislators' approval to the budget plan his office had submitted so that all the programs that had been made could be carried out quickly and effectively.

To realize the 'minopolitan' program he said 56 regions in 33 provinces in the country had been chosen for the initiation of pilot projects. "We hope with the program the target of increasing national fishery production will be achieved," he said. He hoped that the program would also help improve the well-being of farmers and fishermen.

However, Commission IV member Siswono Yudhohusodo reminded the government it should not set a target which was not easy to achieve. He encouraged the government to be more focused on efforts to improve and empower marginalized fishermen.

"What is the use of being biggest producer but the benefit is enjoyed by only several large companies. It is the people at large that should become the actors," he added.

In the meantime, in an effort to build overseas markets for the fishery products, the DKP ministry was exploring cooperation with the Middle East in the construction of fish processing industries.

"The form of the cooperation will be joint ventures between businesses of the two sides," Martani Huseini, director general of processing and marketing of fishery products affairs(P2HP) of the DKP ministry said.

He said that the main reason for the plan to build joint venture in fish processing industry in Dubai was that it would be able to shorten the chain of Indonesia's fish distribution to the European Union.

"They have a big cool storage capacity which we can utilize. A cool storage facility near Europe would be more advantageous," he said after a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission IV on fishery affairs.

He said that all species of fish would be processed in Dubai. The raw fish supplies would not be obtained from Indonesia only but also from other countries.

"The raw materials will not be taken from Indonesia alone but also come from other countries," he said.