Yosef Suhardin, a member of the Manggarai Barat Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD), expressed pride as Labuan Bajo's fishery products have made their way into international markets. According to Yosef, the inaugural export of Labuan Bajo fish to Singapore and Malaysia demonstrates that Labuan Bajo's fishery commodities are noteworthy due to their excellent quality, which is in demand by foreign markets. He hoped that the West Manggarai Regency local government would seize this as an opportunity to create prosperity for fishermen. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of disseminating fisheries cultivation knowledge, providing savings and loan programs to support fishermen, and renewing supporting facilities for fishermen. As previously reported, a total of 483 kilograms of various types of fish from Labuan Bajo's marine and fishery commodities were exported to Singapore and Malaysia through Komodo Airport on Monday, November 6, 2023.
The breakdown of the exported fish to Malaysia included 35 kilograms of mackerel, 78 kilograms of red snapper, and grouper. To Singapore, 254 kilograms of mackerel and 116 kilograms of grouper, totaling 483 kilograms. The head of the West Manggarai Fishery Product Control and Certification Unit (SKIPM), Jonison Petrus, stated that this is the inaugural export of live fishery products this year. The value of the exported fish reached IDR 70 million. Jonison also encouraged other entrepreneurs in Labuan Bajo to become exporters, utilizing the potential of natural resources in the marine and fishery sector. According to him, this is a significant opportunity for entrepreneurs to develop Labuan Bajo's marine products, such as exporting marine and fishery commodities. Thus far, the marine and fishery commodities from Labuan Bajo have only been circulated domestically. Jonison mentioned that all the exported fish underwent quality assurance tests for marine and fishery products, confirming their safety for consumption. Sudarman, the Director of CV Labuan Bajo Fishery, stated that Labuan Bajo's fishery products are of excellent quality, as they can be exported directly. Sudarman explained that the fish exported were purchased from fish collectors in Labuan Bajo. His target is to conduct export activities at least 6 days a week because shipments must continue continuously, and fish cannot be stored for long to maintain their quality.
