Fish imports, Benefits Versus Disaster

Imports of fish is the last option. Thus the assertion of the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Cicip Sutardjo Sharif turned on the policy related to the import of fish for the benefit of fisheries industrialization.

The statement may be a relief to the fish processing industry in the country are often shortages of raw materials. The utility of fish processing plants currently average less than 50 percent. This year, not a few fish and shrimp processing plant that went bankrupt with a variety of reasons.

However, the true instrument of ultimate import of fish is the right option to address the shortage of raw materials?

In the period 2009-2014, the government is targeting an increase in fish production, both fishing and aquaculture. If the fishery production in 2009 is projected to 5.38 million tons, in 2014 estimated at 5.5 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, aquaculture production is targeted to increase even up to 353 percent, from 4.78 million tons in 2009 to 16.89 million tonnes in 2014.

To support an increase in production, the government rolled out trillions of dollars worth of stimulus funds, a package of fish, the fishing boat 1000 assistance program to encourage cruising and fishing catches, as well as the distribution of small loans from banks.

In the midst of efforts to boost fish production, the problem of shortage of raw material processing industry has not shown a bright spot. Insistence imports continued to emerge from the fish processing industry.

Seasonal catches of fish, the harvest and famine in certain months, no one has responded by revamping the logistics system of fisheries. For decades the management of marine and fisheries sector, there is no storage and transportation systems are adequate fish from production centers to the processing industry.

Potential fish catches are still many in eastern Indonesia has not been optimal to fill the needs of distributed processing industries. In fact, a number of fishermen in the region of Southeast Maluku was forced to dispose of the fish caught due to unabsorbed traders and processing industries.

The impression, there is no fish processing designs are planned and in line with the production of fish.

In recent years, nearly all fish storage warehouse filled with an abundant catch of fishermen. At the same time, imports of fish products began to enter. Fish import permit is taken care of months ago by importers, new entrants in these months. Fish prices fell.

Ironically, the import of fish as "the last ammunition" is often tinged abuse, a license to import fish or fish products illegally tricked. Imports of fish products that are supposed to leak the processing of raw materials to flood the local market. Unfortunately, illegal fish products found to contain formaldehyde and hazardous substances.

Still remembered a few months ago, the case of mackerel, catfish, and fish are hacked into Indonesia illegally through the border regions in North Sumatra and West Kalimantan. Fish imported from Malaysia and China were found to contain dangerous diseases and formalin.

Illegal imports of fish products seeped not only endanger the health of consumers. Earned by fishermen and fish farmers dropped to cheap imports flooding the domestic market. Moreover, the issue of imported fish contained formaldehyde and dangerous diseases before making the consumer, while refusing to eat fish.

Disaster

There will never be the benefits of fish imported for the rise of industrialization of fisheries during the surveillance system is weak. The poor get poorer fisherman with the fish imports.

It is time the government seriously preparing the logistics system and reform the national fisheries fish distribution from production to processing centers. Encourage investment into the region east of processing close to the source of fish.

Of course, we did not want the country's longest marine coastline in the world both by the dependence on imports slumped. Awaken the independence of this maritime nation!