"The UK is the biggest seafood market for Indonesia, and the European Union accounts for 60 percent of our total seafood market," Deputy Minister for Maritime Sovereignty Arif Havas Oegroseno said on the sidelines of the "Bilateral Maritime Workshop" here on Monday.
With a large market, Great Britain is considered as setting the standards in the seafood market in the world.
"Through our collaboration with the British, we could manage our shrimps, fishes, or other seafood species to meet the world standards as well as increase the production," Havas stated.
In addition, he said, cooperation on marine fisheries between the two countries was also considered as an opportunity to introduce Indonesian seafood products which were free of any illegal practices, including slavery.
Indonesia and the UK have initiated maritime cooperation through the Bilateral Maritime Forum, a meeting of which would be held in London next April.
The UK was one of the maritime countries, known for its experience and high end technology in the field.
Therefore, the workshop held in Jakarta was expected to focus on some maritime issues which would be later discussed in the forum in London.
Besides expanding the seafood market, the Indonesia-UK cooperation would also involve education, maritime investment in the shipbuilding field and exchange of information on international maritime law.(WDY)
