Indonesia Opens Opportunities for Exporting MSME Fishery Products to Taiwan

RRI.CO.ID, Bandung - Indonesia has officially exported frozen marinated catfish to Taiwan for the first time, marking an expansion of the market for processed fishery products from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country. The inaugural shipment of 10.5 tons, valued at around IDR 400 million (approximately USD 25,000), departed from a warehouse in Bandung Regency, West Java.

The product is produced by the local company PT Asha Nuova International, one of the government-supported SMEs in the fisheries sector. The success of penetrating the Taiwanese market was announced by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) in an official statement in Jakarta on August 11, 2026.

KKP official, Ishartini, explained that this achievement is the result of a quality assurance system implemented from the cultivation process to the final processing. The standards include certification of good aquaculture and fish processing practices, in line with international food safety requirements such as HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point).

According to her, this certification system makes food authorities in the destination countries recognize the quality of Indonesian fishery products and grant them entry into their markets. She mentioned that marinated catfish is now starting to gain popularity in the global market, following in the footsteps of tilapia, which was already popular abroad.

This shipment to Taiwan is just the initial stage, with plans to increase the export volume to 20 tons in the next shipment. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) targets the next shipment to take place in September 2026, this time including processed tilapia products.

The head of the quality control unit of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) in Bandung, Darwin Syah Putra, said that they continue to encourage certified fish processing facilities to accommodate the production of SMEs in West Java. Throughout 2025, the total fishery exports from the province reached 1,800 tons with a value of around IDR 42 billion (approximately USD 2.6 million).

In addition to catfish, several flagship fishery commodities from West Java such as squid, mackerel, and shrimp have also penetrated the international market. These products are now exported to various countries including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and several Southeast Asian countries, with Taiwan being the latest destination.