Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Marine Affairs and Fishery Minister Fadel Muhammad said on Wednesday fish production target set for 2010 was achieved, both from catching and aqua-culturing activities.

"Fish production from catching and culturing operations amounted to 10.83 million tons in 2010, surpassing the target of 10.76 million tons for the year," Minister Muhammad said in a media briefing on the reflection of 2010 and the outlook of 2011 at the ministry.

He said that cultured fish sector had become the weight in the target achievement last year as production growth in 2006-2010 period had increased 19.56 percent, compared to the growth of the production of catching operation in the same period which was recorded 2.78 percent.

Minister Muhammad said cultured fish production in 2010 also gained a milestone where it had contributed 50.5 percent of the total production for the first time.

Apart from production, the contribution of fishery sector on the gross national product until the 2010 third quarter had come to 3.14 percent, above the set target of 3.0 percent for the year.

Whereas the value of fishery export up to December 2010 was recorded to be 2.66 billion US dollars, or an increase of 8.05 percent compared to 2.46 billion US dollars in 2009. The target in this sector was not achievable due to various factors affecting production, including diseases in shrimp production and climate change.

Despite the fact, the fishery sector had generally produced a surplus of 2.3 billion US dollars in 2010, a increase of 7.06 percent compared to 2009, he said.

The ministry in 2010 has also obtained five major breakthroughs, namely the scrapping of retributions to bolster up fishermen`s income, production contract with regional governments, the development of special marine and fishery zones (Minapolitan), sufficing the provision of subsidized diesel fuels to fishermen and establishment of social safety net for fishermen.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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