Indonesia Steps Up Its Diplomacy for Coral Triangle and 'Blue Economies'

Jakarta Globe, July 14, 2012

This 2011underwater handout photograph released by US-based charity
 The Nature Conservancy shows the effects of bleaching in Indonesia's Wakatobi
 archipelago, a thriving marine paradise that supports 100,000 people and
 contributes millions of dollars to Indonesia's economy. in 2011, coral bleaching
caused by higher sea temperatures wreaked havoc across the Coral Triangle,
a region of rich tropical reefs spanning much of Southeast Asia and almost all of
Indonesia. Up to 70 percent of the coral in Wakatobi, off the southeastern tip of
Sulawesi island, was totally or partially bleached. (AFP Photo/ROD SALM) 

      

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Pekanbaru, Riau. Indonesia called on the international community to give serious attention in saving coral reefs and fishery resources in the “Coral Triangle,” a minister said. 

“Saving the Coral Triangle region is important because it is so rich in marine biodiversity,” said Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Sharif C. Sutardjo in an e-mail on Friday.

The Coral Triangle refers to the shared tropical marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and East Timor. The area is said to contain 30 percent of the world’s reefs and more than 3,000 species of fish. More than 130 million people living in the region rely on reef ecosystems for food, employment, and revenue from tourism, according to studies.

At the Rio +20 forum in June, Sharif said Indonesia was committed to the success of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), a 2007 partnership of six countries that addressed what they called “urgent threats facing the coastal and marine resources of one of the most biologically diverse and ecologically rich regions on earth.”

Sharif also lauded the importance of a “blue economy,” in the marine and aquatic sector.

“The Blue economy concept also emphasizes a balance between economic development and environmental carrying capacity, so as to positively affect the people welfare,” Sharif said.

A healthy marine ecosystem can support the livelihood of the community, as well as support sustainable economic development, Sharif argued. He added that the goal of a blue economy is to encourage a more balanced economic development between resource utilization and environmental protection efforts.

“In fact, it would be a lot of growing economic activity in the marine and fishery sectors,” Sharif noted, saying the policy would also strike new balances between land and marine based development.

The Rio+20 agreed with the possible dual benefits of environmental protection and sustainable economic growth, saying such growth could alleviate poverty and increase food security.

The CTI-CFF event was attended by more than 150 scientists as well as the official government of the member countries. There were 170 academic papers delivered at the forum.

Indonesia will participate in the International Coral Reefs Symposium (ICRS) held in Cairns, Australia in the next few weeks, where the country’s marine advocates will again promote stewardship of it’s coral reefs. 

Indonesia’s commitments also come in the wake of an ominous report presented at the International Coral Reef Symposium  on Monday. The report said more than 85 percent of the Coral Triangle is directly threatened by human activities such as coastal development, pollution, and overfishing.

Antara