"The amount of the funds provided by the government for the program is Rp950 billion," Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhamad said here on Tuesday.
Fadel made the statement after a coordination meeting at Coordinating Ministry for People`s Welfare to set Maluku as national fish barn.
According to Fadel, the amount of the funds was sufficient to realize the program, although Maluku provincial government side proposed Rp16.1 trillion.
Fadel said that Rp140 billion of the total funds of Rp950 billion would be provided by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry while the rest would come from a coordination with other related ministries.
For now Fadel said his ministry still focused on Maluku to realize the national fish barn program because a lot of fishery products in the province have yet to be worked out.
The fisheries minister explained that Maluku had capture fisheries potential of 1.6 million tons per year but the total product was only around 300 tons per year.
By confirming Maluku as national fish barn, Fadel expressed hope that fisheries product in the province could be improved through the appropriate management of various fish ports there.
Fadel also asserted that all fisheries product in Indonesia should first be processed at home before being exported.(Uu.O001/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
