Policy Draft of Skipjack Tuna Processing for MSMEs in Ambon

Abstract

Ambon is also known as the “city of fish.” One of the reasons Ambon is called the city of fish is since this city produces skipjack tuna with a special taste different from the skipjack tuna taste in other places. Therefore, Ambon becomes the basis for developing smoked skipjack tuna products as a leading commodity in Maluku Province. The phenomenon of the undeveloped skipjack tuna business in Ambon is due to the quiet traditional production pattern and fishmongers' unwillingness to accept changes. The packaging of smoked fish products is also less representative to be used as typical souvenirs of Ambon.

This study aims to 1) identify the understanding of the smoked skipjack tuna fishmongers in the processing, packaging, and marketing the smoked skipjack tuna; 2) identify, analyze, and interpret the supporting and inhibiting factors of skipjack tuna business; 3) identify the policy design in processing skipjack catches.

The study results demonstrate that in the production and marketing processes, although there is an ease in accessing raw materials and materials supporting the materials, the fishmongers are not willing to accept changes to use modern production methods and sterile machines. They think that modern methods will affect the taste of the smoked skipjack tuna. Moreover, the marketing process, especially for fish packaging remains to be quite traditional and unsterile merely by using the used cartons. The researchers carried out qualitative ethnographic research techniques and SWOT analysis to identify the supporting and inhibiting factors for the development of the smoked skipjack tuna business. The analysis results show the pattern of smoked skipjack tuna processing in Ambon is by formulating a policy plan that will be proposed to the government and the Assembly at Ambon Level to jointly formulate the skipjack tuna processing policies following the good standards.