Opportunity to Export Fish Directly From the Outermost Islands of Indonesia: Exploring Value Chain and Power Dynamics in Fisheries

Abstract

The fishers in the outermost islands of Indonesia have an abundant fish catch but local markets have limited capacity to absorb large quantities of fish which limits the potential economic returns to the fishers. This research examines the current fishing value chain in the Sangihe and Talaud islands, which are considered the outermost locations in Indonesia. The study also investigates the roles and influence of each participant within the value chain and the potential for direct export of fishery goods from these islands, bypassing transit points. The contemporary fishing value chain, power dynamic, and fishery direct export issue were investigated through a series of interviews with relevant actors, field observations, and focus group discussions. The results show that the fishing value chain experiences congestion due to the absence of alternative channels for fishers to directly sell their catch, hence relying solely on intermediaries. It also found that fishers have a heightened vulnerability as they lack the capacity to negotiate seafood pricing. Sangihe and Talaud islands are favourable locations for the direct export of fishery goods to General Santos in the Philippines, which provides a potential viable solution for the expansion of the fisheries markets. Currently, the Sangihe local administration is taking steps to implement the direct export of fishing products. The General Santos Fish Port Complex authority and other fishing firms in General Santos have responded favourably to this initiative. These initiates suggest that the outermost regions of Indonesia should be capable of influencing its geographical proximity to export destination countries for fostering economic development within the region.