Jakarta (Greeners) – Coordinating Minister for Maritime Issue, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, underlines three major marine problems, — marine waste, illegal fishing and the implementation, — as he attended UN’s World Ocean Conference, in New York, on Tuesday (6/6).
“For Indonesia, the country has implemented actions to reduce [marine] waste, especially on the campaign,” he said as quoted from an official release.
Furthermore, he said that illegal fishing and marine waste were major issues need to be tackled to prevent damages for human as for environment.
Illegal fishing practices will affect people depending their lives from oceans, including the 4,000 people.
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Indonesia, he added, had set up National Action Plan to deal with marine waste which includes bioplastic development, waste to energy, recycling, capacity building for local governments to manage waste and facilitate them to establish international cooperation.
To show government’s seriousness, Minister Luhut said that government will reduce plastic use for the next eight years and invest one billion dollar for waste management program. These programs have already included in the Indonesia’s Marine Policy which was launched at World Ocean Conference.
He said the launch was a major agenda at the plenary meeting with 21 ministers from other countries.
The Policy, he said, has important role as Indonesian government understand the huge responsibility to protect marine and coastal areas.
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Global trade also depends on Indonesian waters as the country is home to large mangrove and seaweed areas in the world, in addition to 17 percent world’s coral reefs.
“To protect them, we have set up seven pillars of Indonesia’s Marine Policy, — Marine and Human Resources Management, Defense, Marine Security and Law Enforcement, Marine Management, Maritime Economics, Infrastructure, Zone and Marine Environmental Management, Maritime Culture and Maritime Diplomacy,” said Minister Luhut.
On illegal fishing crimes, he said that Indonesia has been cooperating with Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific nations along with European Union, US, China, Japan, and Korea to set up regional cooperation instrument to tackle the issue.
“Because, we are aware that this crime does not happen domestically but also globally,” said Minister Luhut who was elected as Vice President of World Ocean Conference representing Asia Pacific nations and chairing meetings.
In addition, he will be reviewing all plenaries to be reported to the Conference’s President.
Reports by Danny Kosasih
21 Apr 2024 
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