Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) – Indonesia exported Rp10.14 billion (about US$561,000) worth of swamp eels from South Kalimantan to China between January and July 2026, with shipments reaching 205.6 metric tons, as a new direct cargo route shortened delivery times and improved product quality.Erwin A.M. Dabukke, head of South Kalimantan's Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Office, said the launch of direct cargo flights between Banjarmasin and China has streamlined logistics and strengthened the province's export competitiveness.”The logistics chain has become shorter. Eel quality is better preserved because transportation time is much shorter,” Dabukke said during the Indonesian Quarantine Agency's Go Export webinar in Banjarmasin on Wednesday.The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) said exporters shipped about 1.4 million live swamp eels in 72 consignments during the January–July period. In 2025, exports totaled just 17 shipments worth Rp1.92 billion (about US$106,000).”Previously, exporters had to route shipments through Jakarta or Surabaya before reaching overseas markets. Direct flights from Banjarmasin improve efficiency while helping preserve product quality during transportation,” Dabukke said.He said South Kalimantan's extensive wetlands and swamp ecosystems provide favorable conditions for swamp eel production, supporting a fishery with growing commercial value and strong overseas demand.Dabukke noted that closer cooperation among government agencies, exporters, and quarantine authorities will be essential to maintaining quality standards and improving the international competitiveness of South Kalimantan's swamp eel exports.Sugeng Sudiarto, acting deputy for fish quarantine at Barantin, said swamp eels offer significant export growth potential, although all shipments must comply with health requirements imposed by destination countries.”Live swamp eels must undergo health inspections and be certified free from fish diseases. This is not only a destination-country requirement but also essential to maintaining confidence in Indonesian products,” Sudiarto said.Barantin provides regulatory oversight while assisting exporters through documentation services, health inspections of live aquatic products, and issuance of health certificates to facilitate international market access.Sudiarto said expanding swamp eel exports is intended not only to increase trade, but also to create greater value from Indonesia's fisheries resources and improve incomes for communities in producing regions.Wisnu Wasisa Putra, head of Barantin's Human Resources Development Center, said education programs such as the Go Export webinar help businesses better understand export procedures and opportunities in global markets.”We want South Kalimantan businesses to recognize global opportunities and be ready to compete,” Putra said.The event also featured experienced swamp eel exporters who shared strategies for meeting importing countries' quality standards, helping regional businesses strengthen their readiness to expand into international markets.