Insya Allah (God willing), Indonesia will become the No.1 ornamental fish exporter in the world.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is optimistic about Indonesia’s plans to turn into the world’s largest exporter of ornamental fish.

"Insya Allah (God willing), Indonesia will become the No.1 ornamental fish exporter in the world," director general of marine and fishery product competitive edge strengthening at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Artati Widiarti, said here on Wednesday.

Indonesia is currently the world's fourth largest exporter of ornamental fish after Japan, Singapore, and Spain.

Widiarti said the ministry is preparing a roadmap for accelerating the development of the ornamental fish industry, starting from upstream to downstream levels.

The medium-term national development plan for 2020-2024 includes an ornamental fish development strategy, which covers production and quality improvement, trade and promotion, endemic fish species and habitat conservation, data and information integration, socialization, and public education, she revealed.

Related news: Ornamental fish production target set at 1.8 billion for 2020

The technical regulation standard and compatibility assessment will also play an important role in improving the competitive edge and added value of Indonesian products, she opined.

"We play a strategic role not only in anticipating new market opportunities and promotion, but also in spurring and increasing the market share of Indonesian ornamental fish in the world," she said.

Meanwhile, marketing director at the directorate general of marine and fishery product competitive edge strengthening under the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Machmud, said the value of the global ornamental fish trade reached US$6.8 billion in 2019.

The trade value included ancillary products, such as ornamental plants, fish feed, and aquariums. According to globenewswire.com, the figure is expected to increase to US$11.3 billion in 2025, he said.

"This is an opportunity for us to increase export so (more and more) people get to enjoy ornamental fish for the purpose of hobby and health," he remarked.

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Translator: M Razi Rahman/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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