High int`l demand for Indonesian fishery commodities

New York (ANTARA News)- International market demand for Indonesian fishery commodities is quite high but producers in Indonesia find it difficult to meet the demand, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry spokesman Martani Huseini said in Boston on Wenesday.

Martani said overseas market demand for fish from Indonesia, especially fresh water white-flesh fish, was quite high at present.

He said "Nila" or Tilapia fish, a genus of an African fresh warter fish, from Lake Toba in North Sumatra was the best in the world.

According to Martani, fishes from Lake Toba were of high quality.

"That is the difference. Nila fish from Indonesia does not smell muddy," Martani said on the sidelines of an "International Boston Seafood Show & Seafood Processing America" at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachussets.

He admitted that international market demand, especially from the United States, for Indonesian Nila fish was high but in its ability to meet it, Indonesia was lagging far behind Vietnam, China and Thailand.

Meanwhile, the agriculture attache at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC, Metrawinda Tunus, said US markets were wide open to Indonesian fishery commodities.

He said 80 percent of sea food products in the United States was imported.

"So, markets are not a problem. The problem in Indonesia is lack of raw material and therefore fresh water fish cultivation in the country should be stepped up," Metrawinda said.

He said the lack of raw material was experienced by at least three fishery companies, namely PT Kemilau Bintang Timur, PT Dharma Samudera Fishing Industries Tbk, and Windika Utama Group which are participating in the Boston exhibition.

PT Kemilau Bintang Timur President Director Lalam Sarlam said international market demand for "Ikan Kakap Merah" (Red Snapper) was high but his company was unable to meet the demand all the time.

According to latest data, the total value of fishery products exported from Indonesia to the United States in 2006 was US$785.97 million or up by 7.39 percent from the previous year.