MARITIMEPOSTS.COM – MOMBASA, Kenya (June 23) — Indonesia’s Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, unveiled four new national commitments aimed at strengthening sustainable ocean governance at both the regional and global levels during the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Mombasa, Kenya.
The commitments position Indonesia to secure up to USD 260 million in international financing through various cooperation mechanisms to support coral reef conservation, marine ecosystem restoration, and the development of Ocean Centres.
“The four commitments we are presenting today underscore Indonesia’s concrete efforts to strengthen marine spatial governance, expand and improve the effectiveness of marine protected areas, and develop nature-based solutions such as blue carbon to mitigate climate change,” Minister Trenggono said in an official statement released by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) on Tuesday.
Four Strategic Commitments
The first commitment focuses on strengthening marine spatial governance by integrating terrestrial and marine spatial planning into national and provincial development plans.
It also includes the development of cross-regional marine zoning regulations and the incorporation of nationally strategic blue carbon areas into Indonesia’s national spatial planning framework.
The second commitment targets the designation of 700,000 hectares of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2026.
“This demonstrates Indonesia’s strong commitment to safeguarding marine biodiversity and ecosystems while advancing our long-term goal of protecting 30 percent of the country’s total marine waters by 2045,” Trenggono said.
Beyond expanding protected areas, Indonesia’s third commitment emphasizes improving conservation performance.
The government will conduct an effectiveness assessment of 19.10 million hectares of existing marine protected areas to ensure that conservation initiatives deliver tangible environmental benefits while improving the livelihoods of coastal communities.
The fourth commitment is the development of a model blue carbon project that will serve as a pilot initiative capable of being replicated across different regions of Indonesia in the future.
“We recognize that ocean challenges are inherently transboundary and therefore require strong global collaboration. Indonesia is ready to deepen partnerships with friendly nations, international organizations, and all stakeholders to accelerate concrete action—from commitment to implementation—in order to keep our oceans healthy and productive for present and future generations,” Trenggono concluded.
A Strong Record of International Leadership
Indonesia has maintained an active presence at the Our Ocean Conference since 2016. In 2018, the country hosted the 5th Our Ocean Conference, where it announced 23 concrete commitments valued at approximately USD 500 million (around Rp7–8 trillion) to support marine conservation initiatives.
Over the past nine years, Indonesia, through the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, has submitted 73 commitments to promote healthy oceans.
These commitments represent not only national priorities but also Indonesia’s contribution to global solutions for ocean sustainability.
“Through concrete and measurable commitments, Indonesia demonstrates that marine-based economic development can go hand in hand with ecosystem protection and the well-being of coastal communities, in line with the spirit of SDG 14 to ensure that our oceans remain sustainable for future generations,” he concluded.
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Source: Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia
