Tuna Fishermen Will Suffer from IDR 1.2 Trillion Loss

Tuna Fishermen Will Suffer from IDR 1.2 Trillion Loss

JAKARTA – Indonesia Longlime Tuna Association (ATLI) claimed transshipment prohibition will inflict IDR 1.2 trillion loss to tuna fishermen this year.

It is caused by transshipment policy lowering fresh tuna supply to Japan up to 78% per day since the end of December 2014.

ALTI Secretary General, Dwi Agus, said currently the average grade-A fresh tuna export volume to Japan drastically drops from 3 to 0.675 tons per day due to the regulation.

He predicted the loss suffered by tuna fishermen in a year can reach IDR 1.2 trillion if the regulation is not revised to ease tuna business players.

“The impact has been felt since early December 2014 because when the regulation was signed by the end of November 2014, our vessels are still at sea,” he told Bisnis after hearings with House on Wednesday (1/21).

According to him, revision is necessary for Maritime and Fishery (KP) Minister Regulation No. 57/2014 about captured fishery business in Indonesian fishery management area.

He said tuna fishing vessels need shipping vessels so the captured tunas will not rot quickly.

Meanwhile, tuna fishing vessels usually sail for 2-9 months while the limitation of fresh tuna is 15 days from the moment it was caught to when it reaches fish auction location.

“The time we need to reach fishing ground is 7-11 days. After we have reached, we cannot just go home whereas we are not sure we have fished tuna,” he said.

Indonesia Tuna Association Deputy Chairman, Eddy Yuwono, said transshipment prohibition should be revised only for the transshipment conducted to export the products without being landed in local berth.

If the part is revised, he said, the government still can monitor illegal fishing by optimizing vessel monitoring system (VMS) of KP Ministry. “Exception must be available since we maintain quality and efficiency.”

Production Drop

Indonesia Fish Canning Association Acting Chairman, Ady Surya, said tuna supply drops since transshipment prohibition has complicated one of fish canning factories in Bitung, Southeast Sulawesi to meet its business contract.

Consequently, the fish canning factory is imposed with billions rupiah fine and new contract termination.

According to him, it can threaten fish canning existence toward the implementation of ASEAN Economic Community.

“Go ahead. Perhaps KP Ministry and the government can operate the factories which have no raw materials,” he said.

Meanwhile, KP Ministry’s Director of Fishery Product Marketing and Processing, Saut P. Hutagalung, said Bitung is known as the region overflowing with production but it always lacks of raw materials before transshipment prohibition is implemented.

He questioned the existence of fishing vessels’ catches which cannot supply raw materials until now.

“Bitung has many bases and hundreds of vessels but where are the results? Where do they land the fishes? Answer it first,” he said.

He admitted tuna export volume drops for 8% to 220,000tons in this year due to climate not transshipment causing supply drop.

“Along December, it drops for around 70% but if we compare it per year, it is not too big.”

He said it has small possibility for the regulation to be revised since it is used to ensure tuna reserves for future.

He said tuna export value this year may drop. “Every policy we take must have consequences. Our target may not be reached. The important thing is we do it for improvement.” (Bisnis Indonesia)