KKP Handi 25 Incidents Of Confiscated Mamalia In Eastern Indonesia Throughout 2022

Photo: Doc. KKP

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) reports that it has handled 25 incidents of sea mammals in the Eastern Indonesia region during the 2022 period.

Head of the Coastal and Marine Resources Management Loka (LPSPL) KKP Santoso Budi Widiarto said that whales dominate the incidence of stranded marine mammals, both alive and dead.

"The types of whales dominate the incidence of marine mammals stranded in the eastern region, with nearly 52 percent, of which 13 incidents of stranded whales, 10 incidents of stranded dugongs and 2 incidents of stranded dolphins," he said in a press statement on Sunday, January 22.

According to Santoso, eastern Indonesia is one of the migration routes and an important habitat for marine mammals. It is stated that the handling of marine mammals is a KKP strategy in maintaining Indonesian marine health and is one of the implementations of a blue economy policy to maintain the sustainability of marine biodiversity in Indonesia.

The locations are spread from North Maluku to Southwest Papua. The number of mammals found in this area is due to the waters in the two provinces being a migration route for marine mammals and consisting of islands stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean," he said.

Santoso further said that stranded marine mammals were mostly found in code four and five conditions, namely experiencing further decay and final decomposition.

The large number of marine mammals found in rotting conditions indicates that marine mammals are dying or stranded and difficult for humans to reach, so it takes time to deal with.

The KKP itself has determined the Action Plan for Handling Marine Competent Mamalia through the Decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Number 79 of 2018 concerning the National Action Plan (RAN) for the Conservation of Marine Mamalia for the 2018-2022 Period and Guidelines for Handling Marine Mamalia.

"In the period 2017 to 2022, the incidence of stranded marine mammals tends to increase every year, especially for whale marine mammals and dugongs, while for the type of dolphin tends to decrease in the incidence of congestion from 2019 to 2022," he explained.