Iskindo Chairman: Small Fishermen Are The Key To Downstreaming Fisheries In Indonesia

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Marine Scholars (Iskindo) M Riza Damanik. (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Marine Scholars (Iskindo) M. Riza Damanik said that small fishermen must be involved in downstream fisheries, because the fishing industry is very dependent on small-scale fisheries.

"Small fishermen must be the main actors. With the position of the urban fishery economic structure where 96 percent are in small and traditional fishermen, it is impossible for the downstream sector to grow if the upstream is not healthy," said Riza in the Iskindo Innovation and Policy Forum discussion in the Pasar Minggu area, South Jakarta, Monday, February 20.

Riza said Indonesia could take lessons from a number of countries that have successfully carried out downstream fisheries, such as the United States, China, Thailand, and Vietnam.

"If we look at the process they are carrying out, efforts to strengthen these small fishermen cannot be ruled out. Thailand has even strengthened it in the fishing business ecosystem unit. Therefore, they provide insurance for their fishermen, as well as China also provides insurance for fishermen and ship," he explained.

Riza said that Thailand or Vietnam had no problem at all with the size of the vessels in their fisheries policy, so the downstream industry had been running in those countries.

"So, if we know that the fishery economic structure is very dependent on small fishermen, our policy must certainly strengthen small fishermen," he said.

He considered that there is a need for connectivity to continue to strengthen the upstream fisheries sector in efforts to downstream.

"China provides insurance for fishermen and their boats, and they are the largest fish exporter in the world today, their production is also very large, but they certainly don't leave their fishermen behind. Vietnam and Thailand are the same way," Riza added.

"There are connections between one and the other. So, in my opinion, the spirit in downstream is in the framework of how we strengthen the upstream sector, it must be pulled in that direction, it cannot be partial," he concluded.