ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is harmonizing quality assurance with a number of countries including Vietnam, South Korea and Norway. This is done to ensure system equality and acceptance of Indonesian fishery products in export destination countries and other collaborations.
“At the beginning of May, we held bilateral meetings with Vietnam, Norway and South Korea,” said Acting Head of the Fisheries Product Quality and Safety Control and Supervision Agency, Ishartini in Jakarta, Monday, May 27 2024.
Even the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) and the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) came directly from Oslo to Jakarta on May 2 2024. Ishartini said that the meeting with representatives of Scandinavian countries discussed an agreement to implement a trial of electronic certificates for trade in the fisheries sector with the Indonesian data pool via The National Single Window Institute (LNSW) and the Norwegian data pool through the NFSA, as the basis for implementing data exchange.
This seriousness was realized by inviting the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to sign the Technical Arrangement (TA) between the two countries in the City of Bergen, Norway in the 2nd week of September 2024 in an international forum. Apart from that, the twinning laboratory program for the quality and safety of fishery products was also discussed.
“We convey Indonesia’s proposal to Norway to facilitate the promotion of Indonesian fishery products in the EFTA and European Union forums, and facilitate inspection activities in the preborder (Norway) at least once every 2 years,” said Ishartini.
Meanwhile, the National Authority for Agro-Forestry-Fishery Quality, Processing and Market Development (NAFIQPM), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Vietnam, agreed to extend cooperation in mutual recognition of the equality of the Quality Assurance System and Safety of Fishery Products. The agreement is aimed at ensuring the acceptance of fisheries products from both countries.
“This means that there is mutual recognition of the Quality Assurance and Safety System for Fishery Products between Vietnam and Indonesia,” explained Ishartini.
No less important is the bilateral relationship with South Korea, Ishartini discussed the inspection plans that will be carried out by the National Fishery Products Quality Management Services (NFQS) to several Fish Processing Units (UPI) regarding the implementation of the Quality Assurance and Safety System for Fishery Products in August 2024. In addition, Both institutions agreed to jointly update information and discuss export and import procedures for fishery products from both countries.
“We must synergize and prepare well and ensure that the UPI that will be inspected has implemented a Quality Assurance and Safety System for Fishery Products consistently. The results of the inspection and follow-up will illustrate the performance of our UPI. This will of course affect the acceptance of fishery products in the export market, especially to South Korea,” said Ishartini.
Through bilateral meetings with the three countries, Ishartini hopes that fisheries business actors in Indonesia will continue to thrive and be optimistic about the export market.
During 2023, the volume of Indonesian fishery exports to Vietnam will reach 4.9 million kg or worth US$189,173,765, then the volume of exports to South Korea will be 27.2 kg or worth US$100,123,735. Meanwhile, the export volume to Norway was 4,555 kg or worth US$61,990.
“There is no need to worry, the Quality Assurance and Safety System for Fishery Products will be continuously monitored so that there are no rejections in export destination countries,” he said. (AT Network)
Follow Us at Google News and WA Channel