Development In Indonesia Still Focussed On Land: Minister

Jakarta, Sept 20 (Antara) - Development in Indonesia, which is the world`s largest island country, is till oriented toward land, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said. "So far, the orientation of development in Indonesia is still focused on land," Sutardjo stated on Friday. He added that development in Indonesia should now be focused on the sea because most of the biodiversity on land had been depleted. Indonesia still has a rich marine potential, which is yet to be tapped into. Moreover, Indonesia has 17,504 islands with a coastal line stretching as long as 104,000 kilometers. To exploit this potential, Indonesia should develop maritime science for its younger generation. The minister further stated that the development of maritime science could encourage the younger generation to become closer to sea development in Indonesia, which is an island country. Sutardjo also pointed out that through the Juanda declaration of 1957, Indonesia had been designated as an island country, with an exclusive economic zone of about 200 miles in its coastal line. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries had claimed earlier that it has been applying research to develop technology, which is suitable for the needs of fishermen in various regions in the country. "The technology being developed by the marine affairs and fisheries ministry has been adjusted keeping in mind the needs of fishermen and the coastal people in general," he stated. The minister had said earlier that the development of the country`s outlying islands would also help safeguard the state`s sovereignty. "The development of the outlying islands will not only boost the economy and tourism, but also help the government safeguard and defend the state`s sovereignty," he said in a written statement released on Saturday. He noted that the development of the islands under the mandate of Government Regulation No. 62/2010 on the Use of Outlying Small Islands includes use for national defense and security. "The government has been determined to develop the outlying islands every year so that all 92 outlying islands are developed by 2014," Sutardjo said. "Unless we develop the outlying islands, neighboring countries will annex them, as has happened earlier," he said. He noted that the outlying islands had the potential to be developed into tourist resorts, eco-tourism locations and diving sites. Furthermore, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry had helped promote the outlying islands to investors, Sutardjo revealed. Indonesia, which is made up of about 17,000 islands, has 92 outlying islands. Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro had stated earlier that the outlying islands could potentially become a source of conflict with neighboring countries.