National Fish Logistics System Should Support Food Security: Official

Surabaya, E.Java (Antara) - The National Fish Logistics System (SLIN) is ready to help Indonesia achieve food security by meeting the market demand for fish, an official from the Ministry of Marine and Fishery stated here on Thursday. "SLIN will be launched in early October. We believe that the diverse fish species in the Indonesian waters can be maximally captured. SLIN is the answer to meeting the national fish demand," noted Directorate General of Fishery Processing and Marketing Saut P. Hutagalung. The domestic fish demand encompasses the fish-based commodity producing industries and for daily consumption, such as tuna and skipjack. He pointed out that the SLIN can help to increase the fishermen's income in the price range of Rp two to three thousand or about 17-25 cents per kilogram. "For instance, one kilogram mackerel is Rp eight thousand. With SLIN, the price would range between Rp 10 thousand to Rp 11 thousand per kilogram. For the industry, the price is reasonable," Saut remarked. According to him, the SLIN helps fishermen to store their catch, which can then be distributed and absorbed in the upstream markets. The system can also ensure the smooth distribution of fish from the production centers to the downstream markets and industries. "This can stabilize the price and is acceptable to the fishermen. The SLIN will reduce the quantity of discarded fishes due to an overload in storage capacity and low prices when fish are abundant," Saut noted. He noted that during the 2012-2013 period, the ministry had built 54 cold storages with a capacity of 30 tons to 1.5 thousand tons in Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara, and Papua. "In addition, there are some cold storages built by the private sector with a capacity of 10 thousand to 15 thousand tons," he remarked. The system for Southeast Sulawesi-East Java-Jakarta corridor will be maximized in 2014 by building cold storages with a capacity of 300 tons in Samudera Fishery Port, in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, and 400 tons in Nusantara Fishery Port, Brondong Lamongan, East Java. "A cold storage with a capacity of 1.5 thousand tons in Nizam Zachman Fishery Port, Jakarta, will be operated this month. There are 21 more cold storages planned to be built in 2014," Saut added.(*)