Indonesia is hosting a workshop this week that will assess the economic and social benefits of supporting the country’s pole-and-line fishery.
Indonesia has always been a pole-and-line tuna producing country, but interest in this traditional catching method has decreased over the last decade in favour of purse seine fishing. This is because of the larger volumes of fish that are caught using the latter fishing method.
While pole-and-line fishing is still widely practiced in Indonesia, the country’s fishing industry does not distinguish between pole-and-line and purse seine tuna. As a result, it is believed a large proportion of pole-and-line tuna ends up being sold as purse seine.
However, it is widely accepted that the growing international demand for pole-and-line tuna could be of invaluable benefit to Indonesia’s fishery, coastal communities and the country’s overall economy.
The ‘Pole and Line and Handline Tuna Development in Eastern Indonesia Business Forum’ , being held at the Red Top Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 3-4 September, has been organised by Indonesia’s Ministry for Regional Development (KPDT), the Ministry of Fisheries and the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF).
The commercial fishing industry along with tuna brands and retailers have been invited to join this important meeting, which will also be attended by Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Economics, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Ministry of Public Works and the relevant port authorities.
“Pole-and-line fishing is the most environmentally and socially desirable method of catching tuna. It requires minimal investment, which is appropriate for Indonesia’s poor coastal communities, and it requires more fishermen than other catching methods. This workshop is an ideal opportunity to get everyone together around the table to establish a common goal,” said Rusnadi Padjung, deputy assistant for investment, KPDT.
“We are hoping for two things: Firstly, that this will become an annual event that grows each year; and secondly, that one of the agreed outputs will be the election of a working group, which will be made up of industry, market and government members, who together will help structure the country’s tuna development plan.”
