Restoring Marine Ecosystems, KKP Planted Thousands Of Coral Reef Fragments

Coral reef fragments (doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) planted 2,640 coral fragments in the waters of Sabu Raijua, Savu Sea Linkage National Park, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). This is done as an effort to restore the condition of the ecosystem as well as to help the economy.

"Currently, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is aggressively implementing coral reef rehabilitation in a labor-intensive form in several locations in Indonesia, one of which is in Sabu Raijua Regency. Through this program the government is trying to restore economic conditions due to the pandemic," said Plt. Director General of Marine Space Management of KKP Tb. Haeru Rahayu in his written statement, Saturday, November 21.

The planting of coral reefs was carried out in a labor-intensive manner in two locations, namely in Balu Village, Kec. Raijua and Menia Village, Kec. West Sabu, early November 2020.

The coral reef rehabilitation method used was the spider web method and the concrete method with a total media of 120 spider webs and 168 concrete pieces, respectively. Meanwhile, the types of corals used for transplantation are Acropora, Montipora, Porites, and Merulina.

Tb Haeru Rahayu, who is familiarly called Tebe, explained that the government continues to promote labor-intensive activities as an effort to restore the national economy.

In line with Tebe, Plt. Head of BKKPN Kupang, Imam Fauzi said that rehabilitation activities were carried out on a labor-intensive basis in order to help the community's economy.

"In its implementation, the making of coral transplant media is entirely left to members of the Mira Djagga Conservation Fishermen Group as a form of labor-intensive activities. Through this activity the group receives labor wages of approximately Rp. 6 million, "said Imam in Kupang.

Imam explained that this labor-intensive activity was intended to help the community's economy which was declining due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Acting Regent of Sabu Raijua Ferdi J. Kapitan welcomed and strongly supported the rehabilitation of coral reef ecosystems by BKKPN Kupang in the waters of Sabu Raijua.

"The Sabu Raijua Regency Government is very supportive of nature conservation activities like this because the future of Sabu Raijua is in the marine and fisheries sector, so it needs to be preserved and empowered properly and sustainably," said Ferdi.