ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Thousands of foreign seafood companies are supplying fish products to the Indonesian market, with Vietnam and China emerging as the largest contributors, according to data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
Under Government Regulation No. 1 of 2026 on Food Safety, the ministry has tightened supervision of foreign companies that export Fresh Fishery Products (PSAI) to Indonesia to ensure compliance with strict food safety standards.
Head of the Marine and Fisheries Product Quality Control and Supervision Agency at the ministry, Ishartini, said the government has begun registering foreign companies that supply fish-based food products to Indonesia.
The measure is aimed at ensuring that seafood products entering the country come from production processes that meet international standards of sanitation, hygiene, and food safety, thereby protecting Indonesian consumers.
“Monitoring of the fish-based food supply chain from abroad is carried out through quality surveillance, laboratory testing, and the registration of foreign companies supplying fresh fishery products,” Ishartini said in an official statement in Jakarta on Monday, March 9, 2026.
Only Registered Companies Allowed to Export to Indonesia
The ministry emphasized that only foreign companies registered and holding an official registration number from the Indonesian government are allowed to trade fishery commodities in the country.
The registration number is granted after companies undergo strict inspections by Indonesian quality inspectors under a pre-border inspection scheme.
This system ensures that quality assurance measures are implemented from the production stage in the country of origin until the products enter Indonesia’s national supply chain.
According to Ishartini, the approval of foreign companies exporting seafood to Indonesia is conducted through a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) with the competent authorities of partner countries.
Currently, Indonesia has established MRA agreements with seven countries.
Vietnam and China Dominate Suppliers
Data from the ministry show that the number of foreign companies included in Indonesia’s registration scheme is substantial, with Vietnam and China dominating the list.
The breakdown is as follows:
– Vietnam: 849 companies
– China: 798 companies
– South Korea: 184 companies
– Norway: 42 companies
– Canada: 24 companies
– Russia: 11 companies
– Saudi Arabia: 1 company
For countries that do not yet have an MRA agreement with Indonesia, seafood products can still enter the market, but they must pass quality testing at laboratories designated by the Indonesian government before being distributed domestically.
Indonesia Remains a Major Global Seafood Exporter
Despite imports from thousands of foreign companies, Indonesia continues to be one of the world’s major seafood exporters.
According to ministry data, between January and September 2025, Indonesia’s seafood exports reached:
Volume: 1,003,349.76 tons
Value: more than USD 4 billion
Meanwhile, seafood imports were significantly lower:
Volume: 308,905.29 tons
Value: about USD 463.5 million
Imports accounted for only around 30.79 percent of total seafood trade, with strict controls on permits, fish species, and product quality standards.
Earlier, Indonesia’s Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono stressed that quality assurance in fishery products is essential to protect public health.
He emphasized that monitoring must be conducted at every stage of the supply chain to prevent potential food-borne health risks to consumers. (AT Network)
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