RI TO INCREASE FISHERY PRODUCTION BY 300 PERCENT

Gorontalo, Nov 14 (ANTARA) - Indonesia plans to increase its fishery production by up to 300 percent nationally in 2010, Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Fadel Muhammad said here on Saturday.

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 in 2010.

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

"As an initial stage we will meet House Commission IV to discuss about the budget," he said.

He said his office was now also developing a special program to encourage fishermen to increase their productivity.

To realize the 'minopolitan' program he said 56 areas in 33 provinces in the country had been determined for pilot projects.

"We hope with the program the target of increasing national fishery production would be achieved," he said.