Malaysia-Indonesia Cooperation In Fisheries Industry

Jakarta - Malaysia and Indonesia are to cooperate in the fisheries industry, including in efforts to overcome dwindling fish numbers, as fish is a staple food in the region.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, and Indonesia`s Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister, Freddy Numberi, came to an agreement on this at their first meeting here today.

"We discussed the possibility of having a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the fishing industry.

"This is not only to enhance existing relations between the two countries but also because the fishing industry must be given greater attention due to drops in fish population," Mustapa told reporters after his meeting with Freddy at his office here.

Mustapa and Freddy said the MoU will also include the fields of human resources development, aquaculture and the marketing of sea and ocean produce.

It will be signed in May during the World Ocean Conference in Manado, North Sulawesi.

Mustapa said Malaysia was interested in learning about various aspects of the fishing and aquaculture industries of Indonesia which chalked up fish produce exports of US$1.5 billion (RM3.9 billion) annually.

In the ministerial delegation are Fisheries Department director-general Datuk Junaidi Che Ayub and Veterinary Services director-general Datuk Abd Aziz Jamaluddin.

During the seven-day working visit, Mustapa and his delegation will go to Lampung and Malang in Central Java and Surabaya in East Java and visit Indonesian agriculture projects.

Source: http://www.bernama.com (January 22, 2009)
Photo Credit: http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/fitc/about/

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