Good News From Belitung, Export Of Fresh Grouper Fish To Hong Kong Reaches 63 Tons

Head of Aquaculture Division of the Belitung Fisheries Service, Rekie Irawan (Photo: Kasmono/Antara)

JAKARTA - The Fisheries Service of Belitung Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, noted that the export volume of live grouper from Belitung to Hong Kong throughout 2021 reached 63.35 tons.

Head of Aquaculture Division of the Belitung Fisheries Service, Rekie Irawan in Tanjung Pandan, Tuesday said the export volume of Belitung live grouper to Hong Kong in 2021 will decrease compared to the previous year which reached 65.68 tons.

"The decline in export volume was indeed caused by a decrease in export demand for live groupers from Hong Kong due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation," he said.

According to him, so far Hong Kong is the main export market for live grouper from Belitung.

The export volume of live sunu grouper was recorded at 13.8 tons, beautiful grouper 40.75 tons, kaci grouper 450 kilograms, cantang grouper 6.7 tons, and mud grouper as much as 750 kilograms.

"Indeed, the type of grouper that is in demand is the sunu grouper and the beautiful grouper," he said.

Rekie added that the price of grouper at the cultivator level in the area reached Rp95 thousand to Rp100 thousand per kilogram.

He said, in order to increase the volume of live grouper exports from the area, the Fisheries Service distributed a number of facilities and infrastructure to grouper cultivators through Floating Net Cages (KJA).

The distribution of facilities and infrastructure is expected to increase grouper production in the area.

"We are optimistic that demand for live grouper exports in 2022 will increase as the COVID-19 case has slowed, a number of markets and restaurants there (Hong Kong) have also reopened," he said.