Downstream Fisheries Become A Mutlak In Strengthening National Economic Opportunities

Illustration of Fisheries (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Downstreaming fisheries is an absolute thing to strengthen national economic opportunities.

Chairman of the Indonesian Marine Bachelors Association (Iskindo) M. Riza Damanik said fishery downstreaming is a necessity to strengthen economic opportunities.

"(In addition) improving the welfare of the community, including in efforts to maintain environmental sustainability," said Riza at the Iskindo Innovation and Policy Forum in the Pasar Minggu area, South Jakarta, Monday, February 20.

According to Riza, downstream has the potential to boost the country's economy. He gave an example of a number of countries that are global players in the fisheries sector, such as the United States, China, Vietnam, and Thailand, which experienced significant jumps from 50 percent to 500 percent increase in value from fishery commodities.

Even so, Riza reminded that these improvements did not necessarily happen, but needed to be accompanied by prerequisites to encourage downstreaming, ranging from innovation to encouragement from the government.

Not only that, Riza also reminded that downstreaming must adhere to national interests, namely creating jobs.

"These absolute requirements are what we must fulfill, one of which is to build a strong business ecosystem, both micro, small, medium, national private and BUMN businesses, so that they have continuity, there is a supply chain partnership that is dependent on each other, and it will grow together," he said.

Riza said that downstreaming in the field of fisheries and marine must be able to provide the greatest benefit for the prosperity of the Indonesian people.

"Of course, we can get lessons from many countries that have already encouraged downstreaming in their fisheries sectors, such as the United States, China, Vietnam, Thailand. If we look at the processes they are doing, efforts to strengthen these small fishermen should not be ruled out," he explained.

"Thailand even strengthens the fishery business ecosystem by providing insurance fishermen, as well as China also provides insurance for fishermen and their ships," he added.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that downstreaming is the key for Indonesia to jump to become a developed country with high income.

In 2022, Indonesia will be an upper middle income country, after 2018 and also the early days of the pandemic, it has dropped to a lower middle income.

Therefore, with downstreaming, Jokowi wants Indonesia to continue to increase state revenue.