The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) in Indonesia, is encouraging producers to use local materials to produce fishmeal, to make the most of the country’s rich natural resource.

\"We must produce fishmeal to benefit the sector but we must seek ways to utilize rich local materials for this purpose,\" said KKPs Director General for Cultured Fish, Slamet Soebjakto.

Indonesia has exceptionally rich natural wealth, and fish experts acknowledge that the country is abundant in fish meal raw materials.

By utilizing local raw materials, it is hoped that fish farmers could become independent. \"The trend now is that fishmeal production will no longer depend on fish powder in the future,\" he added.

The Director General hoped that production of fishmeal in Indonesia’s many regions would receive support and assistance from local governments.
He argued that fishmeal production facilities should be given priority and that use of imported raw materials should be reduced

\"Fishmeal accounts for the biggest chunk of the cost in fish, often reaching some 70 to 80 percent (of the total cost),\" he said.

Source: Tempo.Co. Jakarta. Read the full article here.