Preserve Blue Natural Capital Through Strategic Initiatives

The Coral Triangle, which includes the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste, is the center of the world's rich marine biodiversity. "This region is home to a variety of marine life, which provides a livelihood for millions of people. Coral reefs, mangrove forests, and sustainable eco-cultural marine tourism," said the Director General of Marine and Marine Space Management (Dirjen PKRL), Victor Gustaaf Manoppo in the High-Level Forum on "Blue Natural Capital".

The forum was held in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Saturday (8/06/2024). In Indonesia, continued Victor, the importance of preserving Blue Natural Capital is implemented through a strategic initiative called "Blue Economy", through five priority programs. The first program is the expansion of marine protected areas. Second, quota-based fishing, then the development of sustainable aquaculture. Fourth, monitoring and control in coastal areas and small islands, and finally, cleaning up marine plastic waste through the participation of fishermen.

According to Victor, the three successes of the Blue Economy are ocean health, marine wealth, and marine prosperity. For this reason, the continued health of the ecosystem services provided by Blue Natural Capital is critical to the success of the Blue Economy. This is because a sustainable development approach is estimated to have the potential to increase the value of the Blue Economy by up to USD$500 billion, greater than the "business-as-usual" scenario in 2030 (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development or OECD).