The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) oversees the initial export of 52.4 tons of dried seaweed from North Kalimantan to Vietnam with a value of IDR 2.3 billion, as well as marking exports by sea from Tarakan to Vietnam. "Of course, this is very encouraging, especially seaweed products which so far are still trafficked domestically through Makassar and Surabaya, which have great potential for export in the future," said Head of the Center for Quality Control of the Fish Quarantine Agency for Quality Control and Safety of Fishery Products (BKIPM) Widodo Sumiyanto in a statement. KKP press release in Jakarta, Monday. Widodo hopes that this activity will encourage marine and fisheries businesses in North Kalimantan. According to him, North Kalimantan Province is one of the youngest provinces in Indonesia and has produced dry seaweed of the Euchema cottonii type with production reaching 60,000 tons per year in the waters around Tarakan Island, the waters of Nunukan Regency, and Sebatik Island. He also said the production potential can reach 5,000 tons per month.
BKIPM keeps striving to increase the added value of the marine and fisheries sector at the global level through the implementation of Quality Assurance (QA) for upstream and downstream fisheries products. This activity is demonstrated through the certification of fish health assurance, quality, and safety of fishery products. In addition, Widodo said that the ranks of BKIPM are also developing service digitization to facilitate access to fish health certification services, quality, and safety of fishery products. BKIPM has carried out strategic activities including Technical Guidance (Bimtek) QA Verifiers that have been carried out in 15 regions. Then the declaration of the Certification of Quality Assurance and Safety of Fishery Products (SJMKHP) for 10,000 certificates to suppliers of MSMEs in the fisheries sector.
From an institutional perspective, BKIPM has also entered into various cooperation agreements and MoUs with relevant agencies to support the KKP acceleration program with the provision of transportation routes, and various collaborations with various lines such as the opening of several direct call lines from several airports. “It is hoped that this can provide solutions and enthusiasm for business expansion abroad for large-scale business actors and MSMEs," said Widodo.
