Ministry To Seek Short Cut To Market For Decorative Fishes

Kuta (Antara Bali) - The maritime and fisheries ministry said it would seek a short cut to the market for the country`s exports of decorative fishes .

"So far almost all exports of decorative fishes from Indonesia reach the countries of destination via Singapore," Dwi Yulianto, an official of the Bali maritime and fishery office, said here on Thursday.

Intensive approaches have been made with a number of Chinese importers of decorative fishes, Yulianto said.

He said China is the largest country of destination for Indonesian decorative fishes.

"We have been active in taking part in decorative fish exhibitions in a number of countries to be able to negotiate directly with buyers," he said, adding, " Soon we would take part in such exhibition in Germany."

Indonesia is the fifth largest supplier of decorative fishes in the world, he said on the sidelines of a visit to PT Dinar Darum Lestari, an exporter of decorative fishes in Kerobokan.

Other largest suppliers are Singapore, Spain, Japan and Malaysia.

"If we could by pass Singapore in exports would rise to a higher rank," Yulianto.

The United Nation Commodity Trade Statistics Database shows that Indonesia`s exports of decorative fishes in 2012, were valued at US$21.015 million or 8.12 percent of the world`s total export value.

He said Indonesia has the potential to meet 80 percent of the world`s decorative fish requirement every year.

In 2012, the country`s breeding production reached 938 million decorative fishes, up to 1.04 billion in 2013 or 94.26 percent of the production target of 1.1 billion.

Decorative fish farmers are found in 18 provinces in the country but the largest producing provinces are East Java, West Java, Jakarta, and the special district of Yogyakarta. (*/WDY)