The free-registration event, which is being held immediately before the INFOFISH TUNA 2014 conference and exhibition, is organised by Indonesia’s Ministry for Regional Development (KPDT), the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF). Moreover, it gathers support from the Indonesian handline and pole and line industries as well as NGOs (including WWF).
The Republic of Indonesia’s Director General for Fisheries Product Processing and Marketing at MMAF, Hon. Saut Hutagalung commented: “We are delighted to be co-hosting the 3rd International Coastal Tuna Business Forum. Because Indonesia is a large archipelagic nation, coastal tuna fisheries are pivotal in supporting coastal economic development, creating employment in the catching sector, onshore processing, as well as many thousands of jobs indirectly. What is more, both pole and line and hand line are considered environmentally responsible ways to fish.”
Indonesia’s government believes that supporting the development of sustainable pole and line (known locally as “huhate”) and handline tuna fisheries is of significant benefit to the country’s economy and has made it a priority to enhance activities in the sector. It has therefore initiated a number of projects to support disadvantaged coastal communities that depend on the tuna fishery.
For example, last year’s forum confirmed there was a need for a task force to drive the development of the country’s coastal tuna fisheries. As a result, the new Asosiasi Perikan Pole and Line dan Handline Indonesia (AP2HI) association was created, as was a new forum for pole and line development in the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) province. The AP2HI is a co-supporter of this year’s event.
IPNLF Chairman, John Burton, commented: “A carefully managed pole and line and handline tuna fishery can be of invaluable benefit to Indonesia’s coastal communities, particularly in disadvantaged regions. The third forum will build on two very successful preceding meetings by assessing the economic, ecological and social benefits in supporting the country’s coastal tuna fisheries.
“This traditional industry finds itself presented with a unique opportunity to make the most of the unprecedented international demand for pole and line and handline caught tuna. IPNLF is tremendously excited to be so instrumental in driving this event, where stakeholders throughout the supply chain will identify further synergies and assess the solutions needed to meet future market requirements, including future Marine Stewardship Council assessment.”
Many leading international tuna brands and retailers who are looking to establish better access to sustainable tuna resources will attend the forum. They will be joined by members of the commercial catching and processing sectors. Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs and the relevant port authorities will also attend this top-level meeting.
Delegates can look forward to important commercial topics such as international market opportunities and access requirements, the health of tuna stocks, future export trends, value-added processing and sustainable fishery certifications. Several ongoing fishery programmes introduced by Indonesian stakeholders will also be presented at the forum, including observer and traceability initiatives, fishery improvement project (FIP) development and milkfish cultivation.
The 3rd International Coastal Tuna Business Forum will be held at Royal Kuningan Hotel, Jakarta. For further details please visit http://ipnlf.org/3rd-international-coastal-tuna-business-forum/
