BEST OF INDONESIA
Diving deep into the issue of sustainable seafood, Eve Tedja talks to fisheries, small-scale suppliers and chefs on the importance of reeling in the right fish.
A sustainable seafood agenda for fisheries, suppliers and chefs.
Cheerful jazzy tunes filled the high-ceilinged, all-white, elegant interior of Kayuputi on a Sunday. As the songstress crooned, the chefs industriously fired up orders in a choreographed manner that always fun to watch. The state-of-theart open-kitchen showcases the culinary theatre that has always been part of the experience at The St. Regis Bali Resort Sunday Brunch.
Led by executive chef Agung Gede, the Sunday Brunch embodies the Balinese wisdom of Nyegara Gunung, which advocates the use of local ingredients from the mountains and the sea. Diners responded positively to the dishes served, with incessant picture taking validating their mark of approval. Apart from lobster and crab, fin-to-gill dishes were also highlighted on the menu. From a platter of house-made fish cold cuts and terrine to Soy-glazed Yellow Fin Tuna Cheek, Oxtail Ragout and Crispy Potato Noodle, there were scrumptious fish’s wing, bacon, belly, and marrow to be found. By using the secondary cuts, Gede and his team also aims to reduce food waste and spotlight the flavours of local seafood.
“In light of the current situation, we have limited access to imported products. Thus, we need to be more innovative in menu creation. Taking advantage of Indonesia’s rich marine biodiversity, we try to use locally sourced and sustainable seafood produce as much as possible,” explains Gede. Following Marriott International guidelines, the resort is committed to sustainable seafood procurement by working closely with responsible local suppliers. “High quality and legal traceability are two of our requirements, apart from proper transportation and handling,” adds the chef.
Going small scale
Situated between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Indonesia is blessed with six million square kilometres of ocean territory. In 2018, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) named Indonesia as one of the top three largest capture producers in the world, together with China and Peru. Despite the onslaught of commercial fishing in Southeast Asia, Indonesia’s resilient smallscale fishing industry is still dominating the market with their catch and are responsible for feeding the nation with 52 percent of all animal-based protein in the Indonesian diet.
Apart from providing livelihoods for the coastal community, the small-scale fishing industry plays an important role in national food security. One can visit any coastal region in Indonesia and find traditional and often, colourful wooden fishing boats. By definition, small-scale fishing boat is no bigger than 10 gross tonnage, in reference to the ship’s overall internal volume. But, this industry flourishes not without challenge.
Established in 2013, MDPI (Yayasan Masyarakat dan Perikanan Indonesia) is an independent foundation focused on implementing responsible and sustainable fishery activity while providing assistance for the conservation of fishery resources and the ecosystem in Indonesia. The foundation closely works with small-scale artisanal fisheries in the Moluccas, North and South Sulawesi, as well as East and West Nusa Tenggara. “We have a massive number of small-scale fishing communities but they are often located in remote areas, far from market access with very limited landing facilities, and are not well organised. These caused problems with quality, supply and pricing. More often than not, the buyers are the ones that set the price,” states Saut Tampubolon, MDPI’S Fisheries Policy Advisor.
Despite these challenges, the Bali-based foundation has been dedicated to data collection and cross-institutional collaboration as well as utilising technology for tracing, creating harvest strategies, and opening up international markets for small-scale fisheries. Tampubolon adds: “Seafood produce is only sustainable when it benefits these three aspects: ecology, social system and economy. What is the environmental impact of commercial fishing? Are small-scale fisheries able to meet demand and guarantee food security? Are the livelihoods of fishermen and the coastal communities guaranteed? These are the parameters.”
These parameters must be considered in making informed procurement decisions. “The sourcing power really does rest with the F&B industry. By not asking where the fish is sourced and by what methods, broader sustainability in the F&B sector will not happen. There are a handful of first-mover restaurants and suppliers that are deeply committed to fishing sustainability and the well-being of fisheries. Outside of that, ask suppliers what their sourcing practices are, adapt menus to the seasonality of fishes, and educate consumers on why certain fish are or are not on the menu,” says Tampubolon.
“There are plenty of fish that are still rarely served in our regional restaurants. Instead of working with just four or five kinds of fish, I would like to see chefs experiment and feature different fishes like jobfish, sea perch, ruby snapper, and emperor fish on their menus.” Milito Bruno
A haven for marine life
Meanwhile, in Senggigi, Lombok, an Italian-owned small-scale supplier has been industriously providing high-end restaurants in Bali, Jakarta and Singapore with premium seafood. Milito
Bruno started PT. Liveshell Indonesia in 2010 because he couldn’t understand why chefs were importing seafood while they live in an archipelago of 17,000 islands and outstanding marine biodiversity. “Indonesia is part of the coral triangle region, the richest marine ecosystem in the world. We have endemic species that can be found nowhere else in the world. Why would chefs want to get seafood from elsewhere?”
He found answers in commercial fishing practices which focused more on quantity rather than quality. Vessels owned by big companies harvested their fish with longline fishing, casting a net that can runs up to 170 kilometres with 3,000 baited hooks, supplying the world’s ravenous demand for seafood. Fish caught in this way do not meet the high-end restaurant’s standard. This method is also often deemed as an unsustainable practice because of the bycatch, unnecessary killing of other marine animals as well as young fish of the target species, which further depletes the stock of fish in the ocean.
“Instead, we work with local fishermen around Lombok and Sumbawa. There are about 70 small boats that go fishing every day, using the traditional line-caught fishing method. We’ve trained the fishermen to follow specific standards on handling and storing. Apart from small fish such as sardines, mackerel and red mullets which are caught with small nets, our fish are line-caught,” explains Bruno. PT. Liveshell Indonesia supplies Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore with sashimi grade fish within 48 hours of its catch.
A variety of seafood such as fish, seaweed, crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins are available to chefs who source for sustainable seafood. “There are plenty of fish that are still rarely served in our regional restaurants. Instead of working with just four or five kinds of fish, I would like to see chefs experiment and feature different fish like jobfish, sea perch, ruby snapper, and emperor fish on their menus,” says Bruno excitedly. He also hopes that the export of baby lobster is banned because it depletes local stock and causes inflated market prices.