Jakarta, 17 July 2021. The Laut Nusantara application is increasingly sophisticated with the ability to detect the existence of high-economic value fish. The latest features in the application made by PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) and Marine Research and Observation Office (BROL) - Marine Research Centre, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia is the detector of the location of yellow fin tuna, blue fin tuna and albacore. All three are high economic value fish and become excellent in the world market. This new feature can be used by fishermen since July 2021.
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of XL Axiata, Marwan O Baasir said, "We are indeed continuing to improve the function and benefit of the Laut Nusantara application. Our vision is clear, namely helping Indonesian fishermen to be productive and safe to work so that it will improve their quality of life. Moreover, friends from BROL have all the competencies needed to enrich the benefits of this application, with abundant research data, and can be implemented into digital facilities that support small fisherman communities throughout Indonesia. Gradually will continue to grow new features that can improve the ability of the Laut Nusantara application. "
Meanwhile, the Head of the Marine Research Centre, Dr. I Nyoman Radiarta, M.Sc. delivering that the existence of new features of high-economic-value fish detection is a breakthrough in an effort to increase the income of fishermen by changing the paradigm of fishermen from finding fish to catching fish. In this application, information is displayed simply to help fishermen so that fishing activities can be done effectively, efficiently and safely.
BROL researcher, Eko Susilo explained how to work the fish detection feature is to detect the location of fishing areas based on the suitability of sea conditions, which according to various studies as the fish gathering area. The suitability is based on the criteria for temperature fronts and high waters fertility. The temperature front is the meeting area between the mass of warm and cold water. While high waters fertility associated with fish food available, in the form of abundant planktons. The two criteria were analyzed using satellite image data.
"As for pelican tuna and skipjack, it is produced through a fish habitat suitability approach. The compatibility criteria for fish habitat were analyzed using numerical modelling and non-linear statistical approaches. What is clear, the whereabouts of yellow fin tuna, blue fin tuna, and albacore are displayed simply so that it can be easily used by fishermen," said Eko.
Yellow fin tuna, blue fin tuna, and Albacore do have high economic values. From the data from the Port Information Centre of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the yellow fin tuna price in the range of IDR 50,000 / kg, blue fin tuna is around IDR 100,000 / kg, and Albacore around IDR 50,000 / kg. Up to the consumer level, the selling price can reach up to 3 times. Meanwhile in the international market, a blue fin tuna the price has penetrated the world record at a price of IDR 25 billion with a weight of 276 kg.
Previously, the Laut Nusantara application has had a feature of other high-economic fish detectors, namely Lemuru Bali, Big Eye and Skipjack. Tuna and Skipjack fish have high demand value in Indonesia and the international market. In 2017, Indonesia supplied more than 16% of the production of tuna, cob and skipjack of the world. From data from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, during the first quarter of 2021 tuna, cob and skipjack (CTC) commodities occupy the second prima donna for export with a value of USD 228.55 million or 13.08% of the total export value of the fisheries sector. This makes tuna, cob and skipjack to become a priority of KKP. Meanwhile, Lemuru is a typical / specific fish in the Bali Strait.
So far there have been 55 thousand active Laut Nusantara application users. The majority of users are fisherman communities spread throughout Indonesia through dissemination held with Marine Research and Observation Office and other agencies such as BAKAMLA and the Regional Governments. Until now there are more than 5,000 fishermen who have received direct dissemination. They then inform the use of this application to the colleagues. Until 2020, XL Axiata and BROL had collaborated with around 29 regencies / cities in various provinces for the implementation of Laut Nusantara application.