TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries recorded a surge in exports of dry seaweed in early 2021. From January to March 9, the total export volume reached 500 tons.

“This figure is almost half the volume of exports throughout 2020 which was 1,149.92 tonnes,” said the ministry’s Head of Fish Quarantine and Fishery Quality Control Agency, Rina, in a written statement in Jakarta, March 10.

Based on the ministry’s data, Indonesia is the second-largest seaweed producer in the world after China. Rina issued the information during the seeing off event of the export of 79.5-ton dried seaweed from Batam, Riau Islands, to China on Monday, March 9, by PT Kencana Bumi Sukses Pulau Nipah

The event of the exports worth more than Rp307 million was led by the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono. Apart from seaweed, he also saw off exports of several other fishery commodities.

Among them were 10 tons of frozen goods such as tempura worth Rp1.09 billion to Japan, 10 fresh commodities in the form of various types of fish, and 2,057 fresh commodities such as crabs, small crabs, and lobsters. The last two commodities were valued at Rp2.39 billion and were exported to Singapore.

According to Trenggono, his ministry would keep focusing on the export of Indonesia's superior commodities with such high economic value, “including shrimp, lobster, and seaweed,” he said.

Read: BI Encourages NTT to Intensify Seaweed Farming

FAJAR PEBRIANTO