Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries recorded that Indonesia's fishery exports from the beginning of the year until mid-March 2026 have reached US$983.1 million.Head of the ministry's Marine and Fishery Quality Control and Supervision Agency, Ishartini, said in an official statement on Wednesday that fish export volumes reached 197,718 tons until the temporary suspension of cargo transportation on March 13.This figure is based on the issuance of health certificates for fishery products, which are a food safety requirement in 140 trading partner countries.”The ten flagship commodities are whiteleg shrimp, tuna, squid, blue swimming crab, seaweed, skipjack tuna, crab, giant tiger prawn, largehead hairtail, and octopus,” she expounded.According to her, the biggest export markets of Indonesian fishery products are the United States, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore.She noted that the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have affected fishery exports. Compared to the same period last year, the export volume dropped by 41.35 percent, while the export value declined by 21.71 percent.Ishartini affirmed that the demand for Indonesian fishery products remains relatively stable, as evidenced by the ongoing process of health certificate applications.However, she acknowledged that export volumes have faced challenges due to supply chain disruptions caused by escalating geopolitical tensions.”In terms of volume, there are indeed obstacles because the supply chain has been impacted by the escalation, including changes in shipment routes, additional logistics costs, and the limited availability of containers and mother vessels, all of which contribute to higher product prices,” she said.To maintain trade stability, she asserted that the ministry will encourage an increase in domestic fishery product absorption.Additionally, she continued, the ministry will maintain intensive communications with partner countries and domestic stakeholders to anticipate the global situation.