Denpasar (BisnisBali) –From January-April 2007, South Africa still becomes the biggest importer of canned fish. This time the country has imported 1,848,125 kg fishes and the commodity acquire foreign exchange reach US$ 2,053,854.96.

The second biggest importer is United States in fourth months this country has imported 651,051 kg, acquire foreign exchange reached US$ 1,408,369.15 followed by Malaysia with US$ 85,200. “Up to these days South Africa still becomes the potential market to canned fish commerce.

As well as consumers’ demand to product increase, the market segment of the product is also promising,” the Head of Foreign Trade Division of Disperindang Bali, Ni Wayan Kusumawathi, S.H, M.Si said recently.

According to Kusumawathi, the demands of the product to those countries are high, this situation showed the fishery sector in Bali is not loss compete with other countries. For keep good image and consumers’ trust, she expected the exporter and fisherman should increase their quality product.

Other fishery commodities, she added, at the present, the export of several fishery commodities more increase, for instance tuna fish, snappers, and shark fin.

The value of tuna exports in period of January-April 2007 reached US$ 20,235,220.72 or 156.83 percent if compared to previous period only US$ 7,878,911.60. The value of snapper exports in early 2007 reached US$ 633,002.36 or increase 77.79 percent if compared to similar period of 2006 is only US$ 356,040.46, and the value of shark fin exports reached US$ 216,944.80 or 338.01 percent if compared to similar period of 2006 only US$ 49,529.66. *cip/dwi