RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) oversees foreign companies that supply fish-based food products to Indonesia, in accordance with Government Regulation Number 1 of 2026 on Food Safety. KKP is the authority responsible for ensuring the quality of Fresh Fish-Based Food Products (PSAI) under this regulation.

The Head of the Marine and Fisheries Quality Control and Supervision Agency (KKP Quality Agency), Ishartini, revealed that as the competent authority for the quality and safety of fishery products, they have started the registration activities for foreign companies supplying fish-based food products to Indonesia.

That step is to ensure that the materials come from processes that have implemented sanitation, hygiene, and food safety standards to protect the health of Indonesian consumers. Supervision of the supply chain for imported fish food products is carried out thru quality surveillance, laboratory testing, and registration of foreign companies supplying PSAI.

Furthermore, Ishartini explained that only foreign companies registered/holding a KKP registration number can engage in the trade of fishery commodities to Indonesia. The registration number is obtained after undergoing a strict inspection process conducted by KKP Quality Inspectors in the pre-border inspection scheme to ensure that PSAI quality assurance is applied from upstream to the product ready to enter the national supply chain according to its purpose and needs.

"KKP thru the Quality Agency has designated foreign companies that can engage in the trade of fishery commodities to Indonesia." This is implemented thru the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) mechanism with the competent authorities of the partner countries where the companies are based, which currently number 7 countries,"Ishartini said in an official statement in Jakarta, Monday, 9 March 2026.

He then detailed the number of foreign companies that have entered the KKP registration scheme in accordance with the bilateral MRA, including companies from Vietnam totaling 849, South Korea 184, Saudi Arabia 1, Norway 42, Canada 24, Russia 11, and China 798. According to the provisions of the Food Security Regulation for countries that do not yet have an MRA scheme, these countries are required to comply with the rule of passing quality testing in laboratories designated or determined by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) as a prerequisite before their products can enter and circulate in the Indonesian market.

Currently, Indonesia remains one of the largest net exporters of fishery products in the world. Based on the records of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), the value of fishery exports in 2025 (period from January to September 2025) reached 1,003,349.76 tons worth more than USD 4 billion. Meanwhile, the value of imports was much lower, at only 308,905.29 tons worth USD 463,552. Fishery imports are very strict in terms of permits, types of fish, and quality, with a share of only about 30.79 percent.