Govt told to shift focus to maritime sectors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Maritime experts have reminded the government of the pressing need to develop the country's long-neglected maritime sector.

The point was made at a discussion organized by the Indonesian Maritime Council and the Indonesian Press Council at an event commemorating the Juanda Declaration and Archipelago Day.

Council secretary Prof. Rizald Max Rompas said the under-appreciated sector could contribute as much as US$150 billion to Indonesia's income annually if developed properly.

Recalling the "Juanda spirit", he said Indonesia had "forgotten one of the richest resources that makes us stand out from the rest of the world.

"The sea makes up 75.3 percent of our country."

At present, he said, "Only one point of our (national) long-term development plan involves the maritime sector."

The Juanda Declaration, named after former Prime Minister Djuanda Kartawidjaja, was issued in 1957 on Dec. 13, which is each year celebrated as "Archipelago Day".

Indonesia was declared an "archipelagic state", with the ocean forming an inseparable part of the nation, which annuls the principle of a three-mile territorial sea.

The declaration was later incorporated into a key 1960 law significantly expanding Indonesian territory.

Concepts introduced in the declaration were reaffirmed by the third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982.

According to Bonar Simangunsong, council advisor, the National Maritime Convention held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, in 1996, also played a role in the development of Indonesia's maritime self-image.

"We saw Indonesia as no longer a country made of islands, but as a large area of water through which islands were scattered," Bonar said, referring to the event.

He also called for a shift in focus in national development strategy -- from land to sea.

However, in addition to the vast marine potential, Rompas pointed to certain risks.

He said the number of patrol ships assigned to monitor the safety of Indonesian seas was not sufficient to cover the country's vast marine territory.

"Every year we suffer a great loss from illegal fishing. The sea is also a favorite entry point for drugs and is used frequently by human traffickers," he said.

"We need to improve our maritime security."

Prof. Kanjeng Pangeran Tarnama Sinambela, a businessman turned educator, said education played an important role in the development of the maritime sector, which included fishing, tourism and trading.

"So I've established the Maritime Department at Mpu Tantular University to produce qualified human resources for the job," he explained. (lva)