ASIATODAY.ID, SYDNEY – Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, representing the Indonesian Government, signed the Sydney Declaration with Ministers from Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG), at the 2nd Arafura and Timor Seas Ministerial Forum in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, December 5, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.
Through this declaration, Indonesia invites regional countries to implement blue economy principles.
The signing of the Sydney Declaration is a commitment of countries in the region to maintain the biodiversity of the Arafura and Timor Sea (ATS) marine areas, as well as addressing various border problems such as the garbage population, the practice of illegal unreported unregulated fishing (IUUF), and marine pollution due to oil spills. .
“Indonesia’s presence at the ATSEA Ministerial Forum is a form of our commitment to protecting biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, as well as efforts to increase food security and welfare of coastal communities,” said Minister Trenggono at the forum.
Minister Trenggono signed the Sydney Declaration document: Shaping a New Decade Together Towards a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Arafura and Timor Seas with the Australian Minister of Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek, and the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Jelta Wong representing Papua New Guinea.
The birth of the Sydney Declaration encouraged the formation of a Regional Governance Mechanism (RGM) for the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) in the ATS region in the period 2024-2033. This is what will encourage the realization of coordinated and effective regional collaboration.
Minister Trenggono also said that currently Indonesia is building an Ocean Big Data system, such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning which will be a reference for implementing Indonesia Ocean Accounting. This innovation has the capability to act as a marine balance sheet, including analyzing the balance at sea, and providing simultaneous marine resource monitoring data.
Minister Trenggono also touched on the importance of developing aquaculture to protect fisheries populations in the sea. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has developed sustainable cultivation models to increase fisheries production without having to depend on catches at sea.
“We are of the view that aquaculture is related to the ATSEA program. Through cultivation, pressure on capture fisheries resources can be reduced. “So it supports the conservation goals which are the core of the ATSEA program,” he concluded.
The development of sustainable cultivation modeling is part of the Blue Economy program which places ecological interests as the main priority. Apart from modeling cultivation, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries also continues to expand conservation areas, implement a quota-based measurable fishing policy in stages, control and supervise the use of coasts and small islands, and take concrete action to clean up plastic waste in the sea by involving fishermen.
“Indonesia is also here to invite all parties involved to implement the blue economy. “Making marine health the main focus in managing resources in the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea,” he concluded. (AT Network)
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