Indonesia, FAO Forge Cooperation In Sustainable Marine Ecosystem Management

JAKARTA, Dec 30 (Antara) - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has established cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in sustainable marine ecosystem management in Indonesian fishery and coastal areas. "The project focuses on capacity building and efforts to intensify the implementation of the ecosystem approach in management for a sustainable national program and environmental preservation for future generations," Sjarief Widjaja, secretary general of the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry, said here, Wednesday, after the signing of the cooperation agreement. The regional cooperation for effective and sustainable management of Indonesian Seas Large Marine Ecosystem (ISLME) will cover the coastal area of northern Timor Leste and Indonesia's fishery regions. The agreed project document is titled, "Enabling Trans-boundary Cooperation for Sustainable Management of the Indonesian Seas." The project is part of the Global Environment Facility package funded by International Waters. "Financing has been provided as a grant worth US$4 million. The counterpart funds to support the project will be six times the grant, or some $25 million," he stated. The project is being rolled out in Indonesia and Timor Leste to ensure the sustainable utilization of ecosystem resources through a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis.