Technical Assistance II
Thirty auditors from the Directorate General of Aquaculture Fisheries (DGAF) in the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MoMAF) have completed a four-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on the audit of Good Aquaculture Practices (Cara Budidaya Ikan yang Baik/CBIB) in Jakarta, 22-25 August 2022. Supported by ARISE+ Indonesia, the training was one of the efforts to strengthen the Fishery Products Quality and Safety Assurance System by enhancing the competence of auditors to deliver fair and effective inspection of aquaculture sites. The training also aimed to equip the auditors with skills to train new auditors.
Delivering the opening remarks, the Director-General of Aquaculture Fisheries of MoMAF, Dr Tb Haeru Rahayu, reminded his personnel that CBIB is not only the demand of the buyer country but also the mandate of Indonesia's laws and regulations.
"Our Job Creation Law, Food Law and various regulations on food safety, environment and labour required responsible implementation of aquaculture," Dr Rahayu said.
Dr Rahayu emphasized the importance of implementing the four pillars of Good Aquaculture Practices (CBIB) by all aquaculture farmers, including micro and small farmers, that refers to the FAO Aquaculture Certification Guidelines to improve the performance of Indonesian aquaculture.
According to Dr Rahayu, Indonesia has successfully maintained the performance of the Aquaculture Quality and Safety Assurance System since 2007 through the implementation of CBIB.
"With Indonesia aiming to increase aquaculture export target in particular to the European Union, it is crucial to have as many competent auditors to generate more reliable certification of operators and enhance trust in health certificates for exports," Dr Rahayu said.
The Training of Trainers programme was also one of the efforts to address the recommendations of the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the European Commission during the audit mission in 2020 to maintain the competence of CBIB auditors.
The training was delivered by two prominent trainers, Syamsul Arifin (Technical Advisor for Food Safety and Quality Management System and IRCA Lead Auditor) and Prof Sukenda (a lecturer in the Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Bogor Agricultural University).
During the first three-day, the trainers walked the participants through classroom lectures and exercises on several topics, including third-party certification, food safety hazards, sustainable aquaculture and the production process controls, requirements of Good Aquaculture Practices, SNI standards and application, and auditing (principles, standards, organization, tools, audit skills). The training also provided a knowledge and experience exchange platform between experts and auditors. On the last day, the participants conducted on-site auditing practice at an aquaculture farm, Balai Benih Ikan Ciganjur Jakarta, and performed the final test.
One of the participants, the Sub-coordinator for Brackish and Sea Fish, the Directorate of Aquaculture Production of MoMAF, who is responsible for CBIB certification, Ms Debora Prihatmajanti, described her training experience as beneficial.
"The training has provided us with comprehensive knowledge of standards requirements. I hope that what we do would benefit business actors and Indonesian aquaculture advancement," Ms Debora said.
