RRI.CO.ID, Ternate - The people of North Maluku love Ternate's famous gohu ikan (fish gohu), which is accompanied by boiled sweet potato and sago, especially when it comes to breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

Due to the high demand for fish gohu for iftar needs, Mahla Muhammad, a fish gohu seller at Gamalama Market in Ternate, said that it is always out of stock.

"Fish gohu is popular among people, especially during the Ramadan. Despite the price of IDR 25,000 for a bowl, it is always sold out," Mahla said on Sunday, February 22, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Data from the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) at the Ministry of Law (Kemenkum) indicates that fish gohu, which has been in use for centuries in North Maluku, has been registered as a communal intellectual property (KIK) in the traditional knowledge category of North Maluku, which is protected by the government.

According to Budi Argap Situngkir, the Head of the North Maluku Regional Office (Kakanwil) of the Ministry of Law (Kemenkum) in North Maluku, traditional knowledge is intellectual work in the fields of knowledge and technology that contains elements of traditional heritage characteristics produced, developed, and maintained by a particular community or society.

"The traditional knowledge, like the technique for preparing and cooking gohu fish, should not be lost or taken by others. It is crucial for everyone, including the government, universities, and the community, to collaborate in order to safeguard traditional knowledge that has been around for a long time inside communities," said Budi Argap in his statement.

Protecting traditional intellectual property (KIK), such as traditional knowledge, Argap continued, aims to prevent exploitation by outside parties, maintain cultural identity, and provide economic benefits to the community as its owner.

Rian Arvin, Head of the Legal Services Division, encouraged all parties to protect traditional knowledge and community culture by registering communal intellectual property with the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

"You may now submit your KIK registration application from any location using the online application service," he said and the North Maluku Regional Office of the Ministry of Law is also ready to provide free assistance.

Separately, Syarif Hi. Sabatan from the Molokiyah Arts and Culture Institute and the Mahakota Gamalama Foundation, said that despite Ternate's emergence as a center for the spice trade in the 16th and 17th centuries, the ingredients for gohu ikan have remained largely the same for hundreds of years.

Gohu ikan is a culinary specialty of Ternate, North Maluku, often referred to as Ternate sashimi because it is made from fresh, raw fish. The word "gohu" comes from the local word kohu, meaning "to chew something raw," a reference to its presentation.

Gohu fish, which originated from the habits of Ternate fishermen, has now transformed socio-culturally into a staple food for the general public.

"The people of Ternate continue to depend on the freshness of tuna and skipjack tuna that are freshly caught by fishermen and ingredients that are locally sourced," he said. ***