"BKKBN continues to boost the movement of behavior change and concrete actions in the regions. If this can be intensified, stunting can be reduced," an advisor at the BKKBN, Widwiono, said here on Wednesday.
As an archipelagic country, Indonesia has considerable natural resource potential, including in the marine sector, which has abundant fishery product potential, he pointed out.
He said that the nation's rich marine sector can serve as a resource to help solve the nation's main problems, such as unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, and stunting.
According to data from the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, there are seven provinces where fish consumption is below the national rate: Central Java, East Java, West Java, Banten, East Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, and West Nusa Tenggara.
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This is despite the fact that these provinces have huge potential for fisheries.
"There are a lot of fish in coastal and border areas, in addition to land fish (farming), where it is easy and cheap to get catfish," he said.
In addition to local staple foods, fish and eggs can provide nutrients and proteins that are important for stunting prevention, he added.
"Children aged 2–5 years should have two eggs (in their diet), and it would be nice if people in coastal or marine areas consumed a cut of fish," he said.
He further said that he expects the fish consumption campaign to support the goal of reducing stunting prevalence to 14 percent in 2024.
Meanwhile, Susi Pudjiastuti, who served as minister of marine affairs and fisheries from 2014 to 2019, said the government must provide business capital assistance to fishermen.
If fishermen get this assistance, coastal communities will no longer lack in fish supply, she added.
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Translator: Asep F, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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