KKP Wants To Add 200,000 Ha Marine Conservation Areas This Year

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has sent delegation representatives to attend the 10th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) and APEC meetings held in South Korea recently.

During the meeting, the KKP committed to adding 200,000 hectares of marine conservation this year.

Director General of Marine Spatial Planning of KKP Kartika Listriana said, in the forum which was held on April 28-30, his party conveyed six commitments, one of which was to determine a new marine conservation area in 2025.

"It will determine 200,000 hectares of new marine conservation areas in 2025," Kartika said at a press conference at his office, Wednesday, May 7.

Kartika said that this effort is a form of structuring a sustainable sea space in order to realize marine security, preserve the marine environment and support economic growth.

"Searoom integration is very important to ensure sea utilization is carried out in a responsible, sustainable and just manner for all parties, including coastal communities and future generations," he said.

He added that his party will also continue to strengthen the management of blue carbon by quickly calculating the value of blue carbon from seagrass in 20 marine conservation areas, initiating blue carbon networks and databases, strengthening collaboration and cooperation in international forums and formulating policies to calculating carbon management guidelines.

In addition, he said, this year his party will also increase the effectiveness score of marine conservation area management by 5 percent on an annual basis and complete zoning plan documents and ratify regulations related to zoning plans between regions.

"We will also carry out a pilot project for the construction of Kampung Budi Daya Rumput Laut in Wakatobi which will be followed in Maluku and Rote Ndao as the implementation of sustainable fisheries. As well as building ocean monitoring systems and 15 water conservation areas (marine protected areas) until 2027," he said.

The KKP noted that throughout 2024, the conservation area has reached 29.9 million hectares or about 9.2 percent of Indonesia's sea area. This realization exceeds the initial target set, which is 29.3 million hectares.