Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), through the Center for Examination and Application of Marine and Fisheries Products (BBP3KP), has developed an innovative fish scaler for the fish processing industry, an official said.

"BBP3KP's innovative fish skin scaling tool has the advantage of increasing production capacity," the Director General of Competitiveness Strengthening of Marine and Fisheries Products (PDSPKP) at the ministry, Artati Widiarti, informed here on Thursday.

According to Widiarti, the new fish scaler is easy to operate, safe for food products, and saves electrical energy.

Fish skin scaling tools are crucial in the fish processing industry for producing high-quality skin and fillets, she explained.

The innovation will help businesses to become more competitive, she added.

Meanwhile, head of BBP3KP Widya Rusyanto said that the booming shark catfish (patin fish) industry in Indonesia at a time when fish scalers were still imported from Taiwan or Japan prompted the innovation.

Since 2012, BBP3KP has created innovations to fix the weaknesses of imported tools, he informed adding, for instance, it modified the V-Belt motor into a chain system and replaced the direct-to-motor machine with a gearbox.

"The hope is that by using the gearbox, the power (generated) is greater, so removing the skin of large catfishes is relatively easier. There are also some modifications to the blades, from the regular model to the clamp model," Rusyanto said.

Earlier, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono had emphasized the importance of innovation for realizing an advanced and sustainable fishing industry in Indonesia.

The trick is to collaborate in the field of fishing and cultivation, he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas has launched a book on the Blue Economic Development Framework for Indonesia's Economic Transformation.

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Translator: M Rahman, Kenzu T
Editor: Sri Haryati
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