The COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious impact on various segments, including the marine and fishery sectors
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries disseminated information on implementation of health protocols to prevent COVID-19 transmission in fish farming units and maintain quality and enhance food safety assurance of Indonesian fishery products.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious impact on various segments, including the marine and fishery sectors," the ministry's Director General of Aquaculture Tb Haeru Rahayu stated in a press release here on Thursday.

Rahayu highlighted various efforts of the ministry to placate the burden on multiple stakeholders in the fisheries sector, including by providing various government assistance programs to increase production efficiency and ensure optimal supply chains.

He appealed to aquaculture business actors to not become careless in maintaining the quality and safety of aquaculture products.

Moreover, several cases of contamination related to COVID-19 were uncovered by authorities of the People's Republic of China in Indonesian fishery products exported to the country.

He emphasized that Indonesia had been fully sentient of this issue since on the basis of volume, China was its primary export market, reaching over 400 thousand tons, and was the second-largest after the US in terms of value.

"Hence, it is necessary for the government and all stakeholders to take concrete steps in controlling the transmission of COVID-19, especially for workers or aquaculture business actors," he emphasized.

He called to meticulously take into account product handling and implementation of health protocols in order to protect all business actors from possible virus contamination.

Rahayu also noted that the implementation of health protocols in aquaculture businesses, decided along with representatives from stakeholders and experts, took into account conditions of the aquaculture environment, so that aquaculture business actors could easily implement it.

"On this occasion, I also urge the department in charge of fisheries in the province, district, or city to be able to raise awareness of the implementation of health protocols to the farmers' level and continue to guide them," he noted.

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Translator: M Razi, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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