PT KEMILAU BINTANG TIMUR AND SEAFOOD SAVERS' COMMITMENT TO CRAB SUSTAINABILITY
By: Usmawati Anggita Sakti (Seafood Savers Communication Assistant)
The activity of catching processed marine products or often called seafood is one of the important things in the utilization of marine resources. The higher the demand for seafood, the more intensively producers will produce. The incessant production should be accompanied by the awareness to utilize marine resources responsibly by considering its sustainability aspects. It is this awareness that encourages PT Kemilau Bintang Timur or PT KBT to join WWF-Indonesia's Seafood Savers fisheries improvement program.
Based on the principle of "Conserve the health of ocean ecosystems, Ensure responsible labor practices, Improve traceability and transparency and Support the long-term viability of the seafood industry" PT. Kemilau Bintang Timur together with Seafood Savers conducted a fisheries improvement program Fisheries Improvement Program (FIP). PT KBT's involvement in the Seafood Savers membership was developed by registering one of its superior products, namely crab crab (Portunus pelagicus) in preparation for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel certification.
After passing through several stages of membership application, PT KBT arrived at the stage of Signing Memorandum of Understanding and Seafood Savers Member Cooperation Agreement in Jakarta, April 3, 2017 ago. The purpose of this stage is to provide a legal basis for both parties related to cooperation in the fisheries improvement mechanism compiled by Seafood Savers using the MSC Fisheries Standard 2.0. With this, PT KBT became the first Seafood Savers member company to register crab as a commodity. PT. KBT, who was present with one of the companies that buys its products, said it welcomed the cooperation for the sustainability of fish resources in Indonesia.
"This is a real step towards achieving sustainable fisheries in Indonesia. PT KBT is one of the sources of my company's seafood products. I think I will invite other producers in this improvement program." said Chris Homgren, managing director of Harbour Seafood which is one of PT. KBT's company buyers.
In accordance with the validity period of Seafood Savers membership, PT KBT together with WWF-Indonesia will undergo a 5-year fisheries improvement program. Improvements will cover various aspects in the production activities of processed crab. Starting from maintaining the sustainability of crab fishery stocks in nature, minimizing the impact of fisheries on habitats and ecosystems, and increasing compliance of fisheries practices with applicable regulations at the local, national and international levels.
In 5 years, it is expected that various improvement programs will run in accordance with the work design that has been made. Together with Seafood Savers and WWF-Indonesia, PT KBT's contribution in the sustainability of crab towards MSC certification will be realized.
PT KBT is a company engaged in the business of processing various types of seafood, including frozen fish products, squid and crab meat preservation. The company sources its products from the fishing fleet in Jepara waters to fulfill their market share, which is the United States. The company, with headquarters in Makassar and Cirebon, has a commitment to not only provide the best seafood to its customers, but also to preserve fisheries resources. This can be seen from the company's commitment to uphold the tracebility principle on its seafood products. With the aim of knowing the origin of the fish consumed, KBT guarantees the safety of customers by being able to identify each of its products.
