"Such an amount of funds is needed for the programs of capture fisheries development, fish cultivation, fish processing, post harvest, fishery resources conservation, and marine and fisheries research and technology," local maritime and fisheries office spokesman Bastian Mainassy said here on Tuesday.
He said that of the Rp17.51 trillion of funds, Rp5.43 billion would be allocated to capture fisheries, Rp4.49 trillion for fish and seaweed cultivation, Rp2.56 trillion for processing fish and seaweed processing factories and their facilities, Rp2.41 trillion for human resources development, and Rp2.61 trillion for for researches.
Bastian said the need of the funds had been conveyed to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry to be accommodated in the state budget with the involvement of private companies.
"We have the potential for sustainable fish around 1.64 million tons per year or 26.3 percent of the national fish but only 300 to 500 tons have been used per year," he said.
Bastian said Maluku fish potential was also supported by fish cultivation areas of 495,300 hectares, fresh water fish cultivation area of 36,251 hectares, and swampy water cultivation area of 191,150 hectares. (*)
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Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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