The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) continues to strengthen its role in increasing the quality and quantity of exports to a number of countries. Various commodities continue to be encouraged, especially pelagic fish, demersal fish and crabs. As in Sebatik, this border region which is also the outermost island holds the key to exporting its natural resources. Various types of demersal fish or those that live on the reef such as sea catfish, snapper, pomfret and various other fish are the mainstay of exports from this area. During October 2022, the KKP noted that 28,770 kg of fishery commodities were sent from Sebatik to Tawau, Malaysia. This number increased to 201,314 kg in November 2022. Head of the Fish Quarantine Agency, Quality Control and Safety of Fishery Products (BKIPM), Pamuji Lestari said, border areas such as Sebatik are a door that can facilitate export of fishery products. To support this, Tari also added that maintaining the quality of the fish must also be considered. "Just like at the border in Sebatik, we entrust it to continue to strengthen the quality assurance side," said the figure who is familiarly called Tari after visiting the Sebatik border some time ago.
Tari further said that the border can be an opportunity and a challenge to increase the quantity and quality of exports. If this goes well, it will have a positive impact on the welfare of the fishermen around, especially Sebatik Island. Apart from fish, Indonesia also exports soft shell crabs. This commodity is focused on being developed to meet export market demand starting in 2011. Since then production has been continuously boosted, one of which is through optimizing land use. One area that is also being developed to increase the amount of crab production is Dua Alur Baru Village, Sei Lepan District, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra Province. This village was determined by the KKP to be one of the cultivation villages with the main commodity of soft-shelled crabs. This soft-shelled crab has become a popular menu because of the ease of consuming it. Not surprisingly, not only are domestic consumers interested, these clawed animals are also much sought after by consumers from abroad.
Fahreza, a fisheries extension worker for Langkat Regency, explained that the village is capable of producing 20-25 tons/month of soft-shelled crabs to meet the export market. Demand for soft-shelled crabs comes from Europe, America, Japan and various other countries in Asia. In order to accelerate this, various forms of support were also provided by the KKP. This includes the opportunity to access business capital channeled through the Marine and Fisheries Business Capital Management Agency (LPMUKP) to develop the business.
