Saut P. Hutagalung, the Director General of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Affairs’ Directorate General of Processing and Marketing of Fishery Products (PMFP), claimed that Indonesia is the country supplying 43% of the world’s South Sea Pearl (SSP) demand, making Indonesia the world’s biggest producer of SSP. The Indonesian world trade value is ranked no.9 with the export value of US$ 29,431,625 or 2,07% of the world’s pearl trade value which hits US$ 1,418,881,897. This achievement places Indonesia below Hong Kong, China, japan, Australia, Tahiti, USA, Switzerland and England. Meanwhile, the Indonesian pearl Export destination countries include Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Switzerland, New Zealand, and France.
This achievement can surely be gone beyond those figures by developing and strengthening the marketing sector. Therefore, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Affairs (MMAF) partnering with the stakeholders are exerting to conduct a number of ground-breaking, intensive programs to keep raising the international community of the country’s pearl potential. One of the recently held programs is the 2013 Indonesia Pearl Festival. The Festival aimed to enhance the competiveness of the Indonesian pearl in the international pearl industry.
The SSP is originated from the pinctada maxima oyster, both naturally and culturally cultivated. The oyster development centers are spread throughout Lampung, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Maluku, North Maluku, and West Papua.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) is optimistic to be able to increase the value of pearl exports given Indonesia has and master the instrumental supporting factors, such as the area of cultivation, the labors, the equipment and technology supports. To realize these targets, the MMAF has completed six development projects; the oyster broodstock Center development in Karang Asem, Bali; The establishment of the Non-consumptive Product Development Directorate under the MMAF’s Directorate General of Processing and Marketing of Fishery Products (PMFP); the establishment of Indonesian Pearl Subcommission on the Fisheries Product Commission under the coordination of PMFP DG; the Initiative of the pearl Indonesian National Standards (SNI) Issuance which has now already been issued (ISO 4989:2011); the partnership between MMAF and Indonesian Asociation of Pearl Cultivation (ASBUMI) to annually conduct the Indonesia Pearls Festival as one of the media to improve the quality, quantity and the marketing of pearls in the domestic and international markets.
2013 Antara News