The Government Targets 10 Percent Of National Waters As Conservation Areas By 2030

Three hatchlings walked out to sea when released on the coast of Oesina Beach, Kupang Regency, NTT (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - The government is targeting 10 percent of national water areas to become conservation areas by 2030. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said that it continues to make efforts to add new conservation areas to achieve this target.

"Indonesia is targeting 10 percent of Indonesian waters to become a conservation area by 2030, which is 32.5 million hectares," said Plt Director General of Marine Spatial Management, Tb Haeru Rahayu, in a release received in Jakarta, Saturday, October 24.

Tb Haeru expressed the commitment made by the KKP in relation to this being realized, among others, by adding new conservation areas, one of which is the Kolepom Island Water Reserve (SAP) in Merauke Regency, Papua.

He emphasized that the addition of the SAP Column conservation area is in line with global commitments in the Aichi Target 11 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Sustainable Development Goal 14.

To prepare the SAP Column Management and Zoning Plan (RPZ), the KKP and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the Arafura and Timor Seas Regional and National Strategic Action Programs 2 (ATSEA-2) project have conducted online focus group discussions (FGD) on October 13.

The FGD aims to identify management parameters that are suitable for the needs of zoning and management plan for SAP Kolepom Island with the target of conservation of white snapper, shrimp, pelagic fish and sawn rays.

Director of Conservation and Marine Biodiversity (KKHL), Andi Rusandi, explained that the establishment of a conservation area is a guarantee for species and ecologists to avoid extinction, so it is important for him to think about a strategy to manage the area together.

"So far, 196 conservation areas have been formed throughout Indonesia with an area of 23.34 million hectares, including in Papua and West Papua," said Andi.

The Sorong Coastal and Marine Resources Management Workshop (LPSPL) as the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) of the Directorate General of PRL has been proposing reserves since 2015. In 2018 it was continued with public consultations in 6 villages located in Tabonji District and Waan District.

Until finally in 2019, the Governor of Papua issued a Decree on the establishment of a nature reserve conservation area in the waters of Colepom Island, Merauke Regency, Papua Province, amounting to 353,287 ha.

Meanwhile, Head of LPSPL Sorong Santoso Budi Widiarto explained that the principles of conservation areas are sustainability, community welfare and increased community participation in the protection and preservation of the area.

"Of the 8.8 million hectares of water management areas owned by Papua, 16.02 percent have been converted into marine conservation areas. With the addition of the SAP Column, this increases to 20.02 percent," said Santoso.

Until now, the water areas that have become a conservation area are the Cenderawasih Bay National Park (734,489.12 ha), Lorentz National Park (114,522.37 ha), Padaido Marine Conservation Area (338,323.98 ha), Padaido Aquatic Tourism Park (183,000 ha), and the Biak Numfor Marine Protected Area (46,983.62 ha).