Fishery Production Exports Projected To Increase 19 Pct

Jakarta, Jan 10 (ANTARA) - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has projected the country`s fishery product exports to increase by 19 percent this year to US$5 billion. "We are optimistic about achieving the target of US$5 billion the more so because the market base for our fishery product exports has expanded to Africa and the Middle East," Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said in a written statement released on Thursday. He noted that fishery product export performance has been moving to value added products as indicated by 11.49 percent growth of fishery product trade balance. Last year, Indonesia recorded a surplus of 76.47 percent in its fishery product trade balance. Indonesia`s fishery product exports hit an all time high of US$3.52 billion in 2011. Therefore, the ministry revised upward the target of fishery exports to US$4.2 billion last year. "Compared to the initial target, the export performance last year exceeded the target we had set earlier," he said. He noted that shrimp contributed 40 percent of the total fishery product exports last year, making it the biggest contributor among fishery products. This was followed by tuna cikalang, contributing 12 percent of the overall fishery product exports in 2012. According to ministry data, exports of fishery products to Africa in 2010 reached 24,000 tons worth $58 million. The figure rose in 2011 to 29,000 tons worth $81 million. In the first eight months of last year, exports reached an estimated 23,000 tons, with a value of about $56 million. Meanwhile, fishery product exports to the Middle East in 2010 reached 14,000 tons worth $29 million. In 2011 exports dropped by volume to 13,000 tons but increased by value to $30 million. As of August 2012, exports to the Middle East reached 14,000 tons worth $40 million.