He expressed hope that the distribution of the canned fish would attract more people to consume tuna, considering that Indonesia has been standing as the world's largest producer of the fish.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, on Saturday (March 9), distributed 10,000 canned fish in Yogyakarta as an implementation of the Love to Eat Fish Movement (Gemarikan) aimed at increasing the people's protein consumption.

In a statement received from the ministry here on Sunday, Director General of the Strengthening of the Competitiveness of Marine and Fishery Products, Budi Sulistyo, noted that the canned fish included tuna and sardines.

"We have handed over 4,000 canned fish to santris (Islamic boarding school students) to welcome the Ramadan holy month in the Tuna Year of 2024," he said, adding that 6,000 canned fish were handed over to Jogokaryan and Pathok Negoro Plosokuning mosques.

Sulistyo noted that the two mosques had been routinely distributing free takjil, or light meals for breaking fast, to local residents during Ramadan every year.

He expressed hope that the distribution of the canned fish would attract more people to consume tuna, considering that Indonesia has been standing as the world's largest producer of the fish.

Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Indonesia's tuna production had reached 229,481 tons in 2017 and continued to increase in four subsequent years, reaching 343,393 tons in 2021.

He then underlined that tuna could be processed into various products, such as tuna floss, tuna rendang, canned tuna, tuna steak, tuna pizza, and sashimi.

Earlier in February 2024, Sulistyo explained that the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry pioneered the Tuna Year of 2024, with the aim of expanding the market reach of Indonesian tuna products.

"The tuna year is expected to further expand the reach of Indonesian tuna in international and domestic markets," he told ANTARA in Jakarta on February 16.

He said that the Tuna Year of 2024 is also aimed at elevating the people's living standards and boosting their consumption of tuna.

To promote the initiative, he added, the ministry will hold tuna-themed bazaars during the March-May period under collaboration with regional governments and relevant ministries and agencies.

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Translator: Sinta A, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Arie Novarina
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