The industry in numbers
Indonesia's fishery production totalled 15.26 million tonnes in 2012, with wild capture accounting for 5.81 million tonnes and aquaculture for 9.45 million tonnes, according to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2011 ranked Indonesia third in the world in terms of inland and marine catch as well as fourth in aquaculture output. Fishery exports increased strongly in recent years and reached $3.9 billion USD in 2012, with most shipments going to the US and Japan, followed by the EU. East Java as the country’s foremost production area accounts for roughly a third of shipments. Shrimp dominates the country’s exports, followed by frozen fish and fresh fish.
The government is looking to the seafood sector to bolster national food security and ensure sufficient protein intake by increasing fish in Indonesians’ diet. Annual per-capita consumption of fishery produce amounted to 33.8 kg in 2012 after rising rapidly over the preceding decade. Jakarta has proclaimed a “Blue Revolution”, an initiative launched in 2010 with the aim of boosting sales to global markets. Meanwhile, major exporting countries like Norway and Canada are striving to increase sales to Indonesia, though at a total of $412 million in 2012, Indonesian imports are only a fraction of its exports.