The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), through the Technical Implementation Unit of Ternate Nusantara Fishing Port (PPN), held a socialization event on on board Good Fish Handling Practices (CPIB). The event took place at the Daeo Majiko Fishing Port / Integrated Marine and Fisheries Center in Morotai Regency and was attended by 50 fishermen. The activity was funded through a grant from GEF-6 CFI Indonesia (24/7/2024).

Legally, proper fish handling in capture fisheries has been regulated under Government Regulation No. 57 of 2015 on the Quality Assurance System and Fisheries Product Safety and Value Added

Improvement of Fisheries Products. Further provisions are detailed in the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 7 of 2019 concerning the Requirements and Procedures for Issuance of the CPIB Certificate. The quality of fishery products also plays a vital role in ensuring food safety and maintaining sustainable export activities.

CPIB serves as a guideline and procedure for handling captured fish, including proper unloading from vessels to meet the standards for quality assurance and safety. Vessels over 20 GT are even required to hold a CPIB Certificate. This certificate is issued to fishing and/or fish transport vessels that meet quality control standards during fishing operations.

The CPIB socialization event, facilitated by GEF-6 CFI Indonesia, aimed to provide shipowners, captains, and fishermen with the knowledge and understanding about the urgency of implementing a good quality assurance system on board. The material presented included fish unloading standards, fish handling and storage facility standards while on board, and fish handling and storage procedures while on board.

The event was officially opened by Edi Kurniawan, S.Pi., the Head of the General Subdivision of Ternate PPN, representing the Head of PPN Ternate. In his speech, Kurniawan emphasized that CPIB is an important guideline to meet quality and safety requirements for fishery products.

“Fisheries is essentially a system consisting of three main components: production, handling and processing, and marketing. The initial handling of fishery products takes place on board during the catch, and continues with unloading at the port,” explained Kurniawan.

He further noted that these stages are critical points that must be carefully managed to ensure the quality of fish products being distributed. However, on the other hand, many business actors-especially fishers-still do not fully consider whether their handling methods are technically and economically appropriate. “That’s why this kind of socialization is crucial,” added Kurniawan.

In addition to classroom sessions, participants also practiced CPIB procedures on board, focusing particularly on fish storage facility standards.

After attending this CPIB socialization, it is expected that fishers will gain deeper understanding and knowledge in proper fish handling on board, along with the urgency of implementing quality control systems. One of the participants, a Daeo Village fisher named Haris Kalaki, shared his positive impression regarding CPIB socialization which was very useful and provided new experiences and knowledge for fishermen. “Through this event, I learned a lot about the CPIB certification process and the standards for handling and storing fish on vessels,” said Haris.

Going forward, participants are encouraged to deepen their understanding to obtain CPIB certification. This certificate can serve as a supporting document for fishing or transport vessels whose catch will be used in fish processing units as raw material for fishery products which are intended for export.