Maritime Affairs And Fisheries Ministry To Champion Blue Economy Approach

News Focus - MARITIME AFFAIRS AND FISHERIES MINISTRY TO CHAMPION BLUE ECONOMY APPROACH By Andi Abdussalam Jakarta, Dec 11 (Antara) - After achieving most of the targets set out in its development programs, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) plans to emphasize on the blue economy approach during its fishery industrialization program in 2014. The Ministry is placing an emphasis on the blue economic approach, owing to the fact that it has been successful in implementing most of its programs based on the blue economy direction provided by the government. "Most of the performance indicators based on the Ministry`s Strategic Plans have been achieved," Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said on Tuesday. The Ministry has even exceeded its targets in a number of sectors. Fisheries production in 2012 was recorded at 15.3 tons and fisheries exports reached US$4 billion. The Ministry had set a fish production target for 2011 at 12.26 million tons - an increase of 13 percent from 2009`s production of 10.85 million tons. According to data from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Indonesia`s fishery exports in 2010 stood at US$2.86 billion. These jumped to US$3.52 billion in 2011 and US$3.85 billion in 2012. Minister Sutardjo revealed recently that the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country`s fishery sector in 2012 had risen by 6.48 percent or Rp57.69 trillion to Rp255.3 trillion. This is the first time that Indonesia is said to have become self-sufficient in salt production, which has reached two million tons. Its per capita fish consumption has reached 34 kilograms a year. He further stated that the theme of national development in 2014 as outlined in the Government Working Plan was to stabilize the national economy for improving people`s welfare. "Based on the government`s working plan theme, the KKP had adopted a theme in the development of the Maritime and Fisheries sector, focusing on strengthening economic development and improving people`s welfare through industrialization programs based on the blue economy approach," the Minister said in written statement made available to Antara on Tuesday. The Jakarta Post had quoted the minister as saying in June last year that a concept called the `blue economy` should become the basis for future sustainable economic development. The concept of a blue economy, according to Sutardjo, revolved around the development of Indonesia`s coastal and seaside areas. A study conducted by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry showed that Indonesia, as the largest oceanic state in the world, has put a lot of effort into developing its land-based economy but has not fully optimized its considerable maritime economic potential yet to support sustainable development and to mitigate the impact of climate change. The study also estimated that Indonesia`s oceanic economic potential could reach US$1.2 trillion per year or ten times its 2012 state budget. Therefore, the minister said, Indonesia had officially proposed the blue economy concept during the Rio+20 international forum to push for a global awareness about the economic potential of its sea and coastal areas. The Rio+20 international forum on sustainable economic development is a gathering of officials, environmentalists and organizations representing 192 states. In an effort to introduce Indonesia`s blue economy concept, KKP delegates had also raised the issue during last week`s forum of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy. According to Anang Noegroho, Director of the Statistics Data and Information Center at KKP, the subject of blue economy was discussed at a smaller event during the FAO Council`s meeting. Anang stated that during the 148th FAO Council Session, which took place from Dec. 2 to 6, KKP delegates were led by KKP`s Secretary General Sjarief Widjaja. The smaller event was entitled, "Global Initiative on Blue Economy/Blue Growth in Support of Food Security, Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources," Anang revealed. The event looked at the Indonesian experience and how it could be replicated in other FAO member countries. Indonesia affirmed its support for the implementation of the Global Actions Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth, which will be held at The Hague during April to May in 2014. "Indonesia has also enlisted the support of FAO member countries for the Bali Communique, as a result of the Asian Conference on Oceans, Food Security and Blue Growth in June 2013 in Bali," he added. Secretary General Syarif Widjaja said that during the FAO meeting, Indonesia had prepared a number of implementation programs with regards to the concept of blue economy/blue growth, such as the ongoing cooperation scheme with the FAO, which has been implemented in Lombok in the West Nusa Tenggara province. "Indonesia has initiated the blue economy concept in accordance with what President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has proposed during the Rio+20 sessions in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012," Widjaja said. He added that the blue economy concept, a strategy for maritime and fisheries development, had become a topic of discussion at various international forums. The developments in maritime affairs and fisheries aimed to improve the prosperity of the people, particularly fishermen. Therefore, Indonesia`s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries urged the FAO during the meeting to give priority to small fishermen under its guideline policy. "The KKP`s delegates for the FAO council`s meeting have asked the world organization to give priority to the improvement of small-scale fishermen`s lives," Widjaja noted. He further said that KKP delegates had stressed on the importance of the FAO including in its guidelines priorities that are in the interest of small-scale fishing and coastal communities. KKP`s proposal reflected Indonesia`s concerns and support for the acceleration of the completion of the FAO Technical Consultation on International Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. FAO Guidelines will serve as direction for FAO member countries in terms of policies for small-scale fishermen. These guidelines are very important for Indonesia, whose fishing industry consists of more than 90 percent small-scale fishermen, Widjaja said. The KKP also highlighted the importance of the fisheries sector as one of the pillars of food resilience, particularly addressing the needs for animal protein. The fisheries sector plays an important role in supporting food resilience, where the world`s protein needs can be met by fishery resources, both from fisheries and aquaculture. "FAO appreciates Indonesia`s initiative in improving human resource capacity, particularly to support the South-South cooperation programs providing benefits to 28 FAO member countries, especially in the field of aquaculture, small-scale fisheries, post-harvesting and the management of small islands," Widjaja added.