Indonesia Committed To Improve Maritime Environmental Protection

JAKARTA Indonesia is committed to increasing maritime environmental protection, especially in dealing with biofouling and invasion water species in the Sea. Indonesia is also one of the 12 main partner countries of the GloFouling Partnership Project.

This was conveyed by the Indonesian government when hosting the 3rd Regional Task Force on Biofouling Management. The event was held at the Sheraton Surabaya Hotel & Towers from September 20 to 22, 2023.

Reading the remarks of the Director General of Sea Transportation, Director of Shipships and Maritime Affairs, Hartanto said that this activity was held as part of the GloFouling Partnership Project initiated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in collaboration with the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the United Nation Development Program (UNDP).

This activity is a follow-up to the 2nd Regional Task Force (RTF) on Biofouling Meeting which was held in the Philippines in November 2022.

Hartanto revealed that the Regional Task Force (RTF) or the Regional Task Force for Regional Strategy Development regarding Biofouling Management in the East Asian Sea was formed at the first meeting.

Meanwhile, at the second meeting, a review of the Regional Strategy Draft was carried out and discussed its implementation, including initiatives related to biofouling management being carried out by countries and the private sector.

We are very pleased to be involved in opportunities to cooperate with other countries and organizations in our region to address this very important cross-border marine environment problem. We also believe that this project can make a positive contribution to efforts to protect the global marine environment," he said in an official statement, Thursday, September 21.

Furthermore, Hartanto also invited active participation from all parties involved, not only in the discussion of Regional Strategy Revision, but also in the application of recommended steps to create a sustainable and clean ocean.

Hartanto also expressed his gratitude to the IMO and PEMSEA for their ongoing support for Indonesia and other countries involved in the GloFouling Partnerships Project to implement the IMO Biofouling Guidelines.

"The efforts that have been made by the IMO and PEMSEA have helped various countries, especially the maritime industry, to get the best practices in biofouling management and achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030," he said.

For information, Biofouling and Invasive Aquatic Species itself have become important issues for the marine world in various countries, including countries in the EAS (East Asia Seas) Region (East Asia Seas) region.

Countries in EAS region including Indonesia are members of the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project. This program is a global initiative by unifying key partners to respond to global environmental problems, namely the invasive water species introduced through biofouling.

The 3rd RTF on Biofouling Meeting was attended by approximately 70 participants consisting of representatives of 11 countries involved in the Project, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.

At this meeting, Indonesia will deliver updates and a number of presentations regarding national action strategies, action plans, economic assessments, and various initiatives related to the implementation of biofouling management in Indonesia.

In addition, as part of the meeting agenda, participants will also be invited to make field visits to PT.PAL and the Sepuluh Institution of Technology (ITS) Surabaya to see firsthand the implementation of the practices of management and research that are being developed related to biofouling.