Indonesia earns US$2.1 bln from aquaculture exports

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia was estimated to earn a total of US$2.1 billion from the export of aquaculture products last year, a Fishery and Marine Resources Ministry official said here on Tuesday.

From January to August 2006, the export of aquaculture products reached 664.5 million tons worth US$1.4 billion, Aquaculture Director General Made L Nurjana said.

Shrimp exports were the main foreign exchange earner in 2006, he said. During the January-August 2006 period, Indonesia exported 112.5 million tons of shrimp with a total value of US$739.2 million.

The country also exported tuna fish with a total volume of 58,633 tons worth US$168.72 million, and dried seaweed 57,683 tons worth US$ 28.55 million.

The aquaculture products were exported to 126 countries in 2006. The United States was the main importer of the Indonesian aquaculture products, buying 83,347 tons, or about 12.54 percent of Indonesia`s total aquaculture exports last year.

Indonesia also exported the products to China (78,686 tons or 11.84 percent), Japan (74,973 tons, 11.28 percent), and the European Union (51,976 tons, 7.82 percent).

From the aquaculture product exports, Indonesia earned US$475.14 million from the US, US$409.66 million from Japan, US$48.39 million from Hong Kong, US$193.56 million from the European Union and US$132.76 million from other countries.