I agree with President Joko Widodo’s concept to better connect all of our islands with a so-called maritime highway. Indonesia as a vast archipelago with one of the longest coastlines in the world needs this infrastructure as poor connectivity between the country’s thousands of islands will only become a handicap for the distribution of goods. The realisation of this plan will benefit Indonesia in terms of reducing logistics costs as well as in increasing productivity as a whole. It will also indirectly impact local markets with regards to maintaining price stability. My outlook for our particular industry is that Indonesia will become the world’s leading supplier of seafood. We have an abundance of natural resources, a massive workforce, a domestic market with a sizeable middle class segment, and our tropical climate provides its own advantages to serve that prospect. Indeed, I am confident that Indonesia will have a thriving fish farming industry that will lead not only the ASEAN region, but also the world.

Indonesia’s aquaculture industry itself has already been well-developed in the last 30 years. As we know, we already have the technology to breed specific pathogen resistant shrimps. That said, especially the country’s regions from Makassar to the east will become future hubs for the world’s shrimp supply. President Joko Widodo and Ms Susi Pudjiastuti as the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries also plan to develop the logistics infrastructure that will link the fish farming regions and the industrial processing regions. The perishable nature of seafood products is that the quality diminishes really fast. Hence, they need to be processed immediately if not having a cold storage facility to preserve them. Indonesia lacks this particular infrastructure to support its fisheries industry. Overall, the mismatch has led to products ending up being thrown away.

We are optimistic about the ASEAN Economic Community because it opens a new opportunity for us with regards to overseas markets. The challenge, of course, would be the competition that a single market will bring about. That said, in addition to exporting, we also acknowledge the need to develop the local market. Bogatama Marinusa has extensive experience producing international standard quality products. Furthermore, one of our greatest assets is our market network.

As we recognise the importance of innovation for the sustainability of our company, research and development has been incorporated into our budget strategy. Different countries or regions have different preferences for their diet, meaning different food innovations for different markets. The research we conduct is within that context. Another equally important focus is on how to better improve the sourcing of our raw materials. This pertains to the farming side of our production as we are seeking long-term sustainability for our business. In this regard, we have increased our investment to ensure the stability of our supply chain.

We are definitely open to international partnerships as there are still many areas which need improvements. In this respect, we see the need to work together as different firms have their own strong points. For example, Bogatama Marinusa seeks new markets while our prospective partners may need us to supply them. To have that link is necessary in pushing down costs, and simultaneously for us to become a more efficient and effective operation; thus more competitive. We are open to any cooperation prospects, including joint ventures. For us, the most interesting area is perhaps in developing a captive market overseas.

Indonesia possesses an abundance of natural resources, an advantageous climate and topography, and a domestic market of 250 million people. This country has the potential to lead the global seafood industry as well as serve as a lucrative market, provided that all stakeholders work together in developing the sector.