Help MSMEs Custody Global Market, Government Holds International Hias Fish Contests

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government through the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) plans to hold an international-scale freshwater ornamental fish contest titled Kalikan Expo 2022 at the Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran on October 14-16 2022.

Assistant Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries for Public Communication, Doni Ismanto, said the activity was aimed at encouraging more freshwater ornamental fish products produced by micro and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia to be able to penetrate the global market.

A freshwater ornamental fish is a prima donna in the international market. Based on data, trading in ornamental fish in the international market is 79 percent, a type of freshwater ornamental fish," he said as reported by the official website on Monday, October 10.

According to Doni, the circulation of money in the freshwater ornamental fish segment is quite high. This is then the government's concern to empower the potential of local MSME actors in order to contribute more optimally.

"We will help freshwater ornamental fish players, which are generally mostly MSMEs, to be able to increase product competitiveness and open market access for MSME friends to go global," he said.

For information, the value of the world's ornamental fish demand in 2017 was US$315.1 million. This figure then rose to US$366.6 million throughout 2021.

Indonesia itself currently occupies the position of five exporters of ornamental fish in the world with an export value of 34.5 million US dollars last year with the largest donations coming from freshwater ornamental fish.

Meanwhile, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Kalikan Ardani Yusuf Prawira stated that this activity also presented exhibitions and dialogues on the empowerment of MSMEs.

We focus on providing understanding of improving quality and competitiveness, to regulations. So this is a lot of profit for our MSME friends, both in terms of business management, about fish, about feed and so on," he said.

To note, Kalikan is a digital marketplace brand developed to grow the MSME ecosystem for freshwater ornamental fish, as well as the development and empowerment of entrepreneurship in national and international markets.