Protecting the Ocean for Sustainable Development
by M Ambari [Jakarta] on 29 June 2020
· Indonesia is one of the countries in the world that is strongly committed to maintaining a healthy and sustainable marine ecosystem throughout the year. This commitment is maintained so that Indonesia can realize sustainable development and fisheries
· To realize a sustainable economy, a strong focus is needed so that the transformation of economic development can run well at this time when the COVID-19 pandemic is still running. The transformation is directed so that economic activities run on a sustainable principle
· In strengthening a sustainable economy, the Republic of Indonesia’s fisheries management area (WPP NRI) plays a very important role because it can realize ecosystem-based fisheries management, marine cultivation, and the protection of marine habitats.
· Then, it is also necessary to carry out collaborative activities with other countries to realize sustainable fisheries management that will build a prosperous fishing community. Cooperation is an important activity and must be carried out by all interested countries.
Saving the world’s marine ecosystems requires strong cooperation between countries in the economic, social, and environmental fields in order to create healthy seas for sustainable development. For Indonesia, saving the world’s oceans must begin with the right and appropriate policies tailored to each individual’s needs.
Director-General of Marine Spatial Management of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Aryo Hanggono said, as a maritime country, Indonesia views the importance of implementing marine protected areas (MPA) for now and in the future.
“Supporting global targets to achieve the extent and effectiveness of marine protected area management,” he explained recently.
According to him, many countries in the world are currently considering the global challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is currently global. This challenge is an opportunity for countries to be able to implement breakthroughs in cooperation programs in the economic, social, and environmental fields.
For Indonesia, this is an important task and a great opportunity. As an archipelagic country with high marine biodiversity and coastal communities, Indonesia needs to turn challenges into opportunities and ensure that actions taken are aligned with community needs, healthy seas, and prosperity.
Aryo said, one of the efforts made by Indonesia in implementing a sustainable marine economic transformation is by directing all marine-based activities, improving the livelihoods of coastal communities, marine health, and coastal ecosystems by strengthening the management of fisheries management areas of the Republic of Indonesia (WPP NRI).
To carry out the strengthening of WPP management, this is done through ecosystem-based fisheries management, marine cultivation, and protection of marine habitats that are integrated into marine spatial plans, integrated nature-based marine environment rehabilitation, and continuing efforts to eradicate illegal, unreported, and unreported fishing. registered (IUUF).
“It also reduces marine debris, and improves livelihoods to ensure the sustainability of the fishing industry and marine tourism in the long term,” he explained.
It is known, so far, Indonesia has succeeded in realizing a marine conservation area of 23.14 million hectares, or 15.7 percent of the marine waters area. According to Aryo, KKP will gradually increase the area of marine conservation areas to reach 32.2 million ha by 2030.
In order to effectively manage marine protected areas, Indonesia refers to regulations such as Presidential Regulation Number 56 of 2019 concerning the National Action Plan for Integrated Management of National Parks and National Water Conservation Areas 2018–2025.
Conservation
By 2024, Aryo Hanggono said that the KKP had set a target of adding marine conservation areas to an area of 27.1 million ha. In addition, it also sets 116 marine area zoning plans and increases people’s salt production to reach 3.4 million tons.
Then, to support national priorities in order to increase disaster resilience and climate change, KKP not only focuses on increasing the area of conservation areas but also increasing damaged coastal areas and small islands.
“Of the 17 locations restored in 2019, the target is to reach 36 locations in 2024,” he said.
Another program implemented by Indonesia is to protect, conserve, and utilize aquatic biodiversity for the next five years with a target of up to 20 species of fish. Then, managing marine tourism areas and sinking shiploads (BMKT) in 20 areas.
Also, carry out managed marine services for economic development, implement the use of facilities and infrastructure on 22 small/outermost islands that have been built and utilized, as well as facilitate customary, traditional, and local communities in coastal areas and small islands for strengthening and 30 MHA protection.
“And also the realization of the level of independence in the SKPT (integrated marine and fisheries center) at level four,” he added.
Apart from that, until 2024, KKP targets to be able to rehabilitate 1,800 ha of mangrove areas, build 33 floating dock units, form 4 integrated marine and fisheries center development areas (SKPT), land rights certification in 55 small/outermost islands, and formed 105 Conservation Movement Community Groups (Kompak), the Love of the Sea Movement (Gita Laut).
Head of the Marine and Fisheries Human Resources Research Agency (BSDM KP) KKP Sjarief Widjaja explained that collaborative activities and harmonization of the framework for sustainable fisheries management in Southeast Asia are important steps that must be taken. This is so that the welfare of the fishing community can be fought for until it is realized.
According to him, currently, it is necessary to strengthen and enforce regulations, increase human resource capacity, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the fishing industry. This step is important to do because currently there are many fishing practices that damage and violate human rights.
“The violation appears in the implementation of fishery activities that do not comply with regulations,” he explained.
Commitment
For this reason, Indonesia invites other countries in Southeast Asia to be committed to the field of aquaculture to achieve food security, and at the same time recognize gender equality in fishery activities. All of this must be done with a strong and continuous commitment.
Meanwhile, the countries in question are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam. With a strong commitment, problems that arise, such as during the current COVID-19 pandemic, are believed to be overcome.
Previously, Secretary of the Directorate General of PRL KKP Agus Dermawan stated that Indonesia will continue to be committed to participating in maintaining the sustainability of the world’s oceans by engaging in regional cooperation involving many countries. This commitment includes safeguarding the world’s coral triangle area which includes six countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Besides Indonesia, five other countries that are also involved are the Philippines, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Cooperation with these countries includes efforts to manage resources, sustainable oceans, protection of coral reefs, and food security.
For involvement in the management of the world’s coral triangle area, Indonesia is given a target to implement a national plan of action (NPOA) of up to 40 actions. Of these, 30 actions are known to have been successfully completed until 2019.
“Meanwhile, ten other actions are still ongoing and we are optimistic that they will be completed in 2020,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Director of Marine Conservation and Biodiversity of KKP Andi Rusandi stated that the Indonesian government is ready to cooperate with other developing countries in the world. The cooperation aims to increase the physical and human capacity to explore the sea.
“Through this cooperation, it is hoped that food security independence can be realized in accordance with the sustainable development goals (TPB) in 2030,” he explained.
In addition to international cooperation, Andi said that maintaining marine ecosystems can be done by applying other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM) which are considered very relevant to be applied in Indonesia, where the water area is wider than the land area.
“OECM in the Indonesian context can be applied more flexibly in terms of the definition of criteria. Although the implication is that not all of Indonesia’s OECM can later be deposited at the United Nations (United Nations),” he explained in an official statement from the CTF that was sent to Mongabay, recently.
Meanwhile, adjustments that can be made if OECM is implemented in Indonesia include geographical conditions, diversity, and extent of aquatic habitats, as well as socio-economic context. Some of these adjustments can be made while taking into account a number of things, especially the existence of specific rules for the implementation of OECM in Indonesia.
Source: https://www.mongabay.co.id/2020/06/29/menjaga-laut-untuk-pembangunan-berkelanjutan/
