KKP Collects 6.49 Tons Of Plastic Waste Around Batam Waters

Plastic waste collection (Photo: Doc. KKP)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has managed to collect 6.49 tons of plastic waste in surveillance patrols to prevent pollution and marine damage simultaneously throughout Indonesia.

Director General of Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision (PSDKP) Adin Nurawaluddin said that the simultaneous movement carried out in 14 PSDKP Technical Implementation Units (UPT) was centered in the waters and Beaches of Nongsa, Batam, on Thursday, September 7, by deploying the Shark Marine and Fisheries Supervisory Vessel 17 and three ships from the Batam PSDKP Base.

"In the supervision patrol of plastic waste pollution in the sea, the Directorate General of PSDKP deployed a supervisory vessel to inspect pollution prevention facilities on fishing vessels and take plastic waste at sea," Adin said in a written statement, on Tuesday, September 12.

In addition to taking plastic waste at sea, it is also accompanied by the insertion of stickers prohibiting throwing garbage at sea and installing prohibited boards from throwing garbage in the sea in order to socialize for coastal communities and fishermen by the Women's Unity Dharma Advisor (DWP) of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ernawati Trenggono.

"After symbolically being carried out by the Women's Dharma Unity Advisor (DWP) of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the installation of stickers prohibiting throwing plastic waste in the sea is then carried out simultaneously by all ranks of the Directorate General of PSKDP with a total of 847 fisheries ships with stickers installed and for prohibited boards we install them at 44 location points throughout Indonesia," said Adin.

Meanwhile, the Advisor to the DWP of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ernawati Trenggono, said how important it is to preserve the sea and beaches starting from the smallest thing, namely not throwing plastic waste into the sea and around the coast.

Ernawati Trenggono also hopes that patrols, which are one of the implementations of the blue economy priority program, namely the Sea Love Month, will not only be ceremonial, but can also become a new culture for coastal communities that make the sea a source of life.

"Given that plastic waste is difficult waste and takes a long time to decompose, I hope that this movement will trigger awareness of coastal communities to jointly care and support the KKP's blue economy policy by not throwing garbage into the sea," he added.

Previously, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KP) Sakti Wahyu Trenggono had launched five priority programs for implementing the blue economy, namely expanding marine conservation areas, measuring fishing based on quotas, developing sustainable marine, coastal and land cultivation, monitoring and control of coastal areas and small islands, and cleaning up plastic waste in the sea through fishing participation movements or months of love for the sea.