Govt to build marine conservation school in Wakatobi

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 07/16/2011

Indonesia will establish the School for Marine Conservation (SMC) in Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi, to produce experts who will help the country preserve its natural resources, especially the ocean.

Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Fadel Muhammad laid the foundation stone for the center's building, marking the start of construction on Saturday.

He said the center would train many new officers to manage water conservation areas nationwide, which are expected to reach 20 million hectares by 2020 according to government plans.

“We will need up to 5,000 competent and professional people to manage the conservation areas,” Fadel was quoted as saying Saturday by Antara news agency.

He said the training center would offer students three major fields of study: conservation management, biodiversity and ocean engineering.

“The school will accommodate 400 students, 50 lecturers, 50 members of staff and 2,000 trainees,” Fadel said.

He added that the government chose Wakatobi as the site for the school as it sat at the center of world’s coral triangle and had rich natural resources. Wakatobi is also home to a 1.39-hectare national marine park with diverse coral reefs.