KKP Expands Marine Protected Areas to 1.46 Million Hectare
Director General of Marine Spatial Management at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Victor Gustaav Manoppo said that by the first half of this year, the expansion of marine conservation was up to 1.46 million hectares. This means that the conservation area has been expanded to 73 percent of the set target or from 2 million hectares.
Victor explained that currently the national conservation area reaches 28.4 million hectares which is managed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the KKP, and local governments. He is sure that by the end of the year, the area of the conservation area will exceed the target.
"On the other hand, our target is not only the expansion of conservation, but how to improve the quality of the conservation area. The advantage is that we can maintain fish stocks, plus we can get the carbon value produced by conservation areas," said Victor, at a press conference in Jakarta, Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
Victor claimed that KKP had succeeded in optimizing the role of marine space in accordance with the blue economy to improve people's welfare, national economic growth, and maintain state principles.
"The principle of the blue economy is that we must maintain the health of the sea, how we must protect the nature. Therefore, the output of the implementation of the blue economy is wrapped in regulations and work programs that aim to balance the ecology and the economy," said Victor.
The expansion of quality marine conservation areas and the alleviation of plastic waste are blue economy-based work programs that have been intensified by the KKP throughout this year. This is because of the high threat of global climate change. In addition, conservation areas provide enormous ecological and economic benefits, such as abundant fish resources and carbon trade opportunities.
In the expansion of conservation areas, MPAs are also aquatic ecosystems through mangrove planting. As of the first semester of this year, 168 hectares of mangrove were planted from the target of 200 hectares. To accelerate the recovery of marine health, KKP has also strengthened the Ocean Love Month program. So far, concrete actions to clean beaches and seas from plastic waste have been carried out at 10 points in various regions of Indonesia by involving various levels of society.
During the first half of this year, said Victor, there was a significant performance achievement of PNBP licensing and it was seen that marine and fisheries exceeded the target. In the first universe of this year, the amount has reached Rp 67.6 billion from the target of Rp 50 billion. He believes the amount of PNBP generated can reach Rp 100 billion by the end of the year.
