The Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Affairs (KKP) has increased control over the shark and ray trade. The KKP also equips its officers with the ability to identify shark and ray species so that their sustainability is maintained. It should be noted that sharks and rays are fishery commodities that have high economic value and are becoming a global concern, because their existence is increasingly threatened. To that end, KKP held a Training on Identification of Kekeh Rays, Miserable Rays as well as Shark Carcasses, and Rays at the Nizam Zachman Ocean Fishing Port, Muara Baru, North Jakarta (PPSNJZ). Head of the Research and Human Resources Agency for Marine and Fisheries (BRSDM) I Nyoman Radiarta said this activity aims to improve HR skills in identifying shark and ray products before they are trafficked to national and international trade markets. "The training is in line with the policy direction of the KKP in preserving the environment and improving welfare in the marine sector through the implementation of the blue economy," he said in a press release, quoted Monday (25/7/2022).
He added, the potential of Indonesia's diversity of shark and ray resources is high. It is recorded that 13 % of the world's total production of sharks and rays comes from Indonesia. From this amount, it is known that the export value collected is quite significant, reaching IDR. 1.4 trillion based on the results of the 2018 study. Meanwhile, Head of BRSDM Marine and Fisheries Training and Extension Center (Puslatluh KP) Lilly Aprilya Pregiwati explained that identification knowledge is important to ensure that the sharks and rays being traded are not protected species and are in accordance with the trading mechanism. Based on his statement, Kekeh rays are the most popular type of stingray because their fins and meat have high economic value in national and international trade markets. Also with other types of sharks and rays that are often hunted by the coastal communities of Java and Kalimantan. “Kekeh rays and stingray rays have slow growth and low reproduction, these species live in bottom waters with coastal habitats that make them easier to catch and overexploit. For this reason, support for the preservation of this species is crucial,” he said. Meanwhile, the Director of Marine Conservation and Biodiversity (Dit. KKHL) DJPRL Firdaus Agung said that his party together with BRSDM through Puslatluh KP have prepared a draft of the Indonesian National Competency Standard (SKKNI) for shark and ray identification, which will complement each other by increasing the competence of officers through capacity building activities. "After the SKKNI is completed and established and several trainings and technical guidance are also carried out, it is hoped that in the next 1 to 2 years, human resources in Indonesia, who have an interest in monitoring sharks and rays, can ensure and maintain export quality with legal documents," he concluded.
