In her keynote address to the combined 2nd Bali Tuna Conference (BTC) and the 5th International Coastal Tuna Business Forum (ICTBF), Her Excellency Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) of the Republic of Indonesia, will emphasize the government’s steadfast commitment to ending illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Indonesian waters and beyond.
IUU fishing is a huge challenge for MMAF, estimated to involve the illegal capture of 1.5 million tonnes of fishery products and costing the country’s economy billions of dollars annually, while putting stocks, livelihoods and marine habitats in jeopardy. IUU fishing is also associated with human rights crimes and food security risks.
While combatting these problems is made very difficult because of the large number of islands and archipelagos in Indonesian waters, MMAF will not be deterred from its goal of 100% eradication.
Indeed, over the past year, it has embarked on a progressive and forward thinking strategy to tackle IUU fishing and to promote and expand the nation’s fisheries.
Minister Pudjiastuti commented: “Indonesia has been enacting major reform of its fisheries industry. But the illegal practices that happened in the past have been very serious. At one time, we had 1.6 million fishermen. In the last 10 years, the number has decreased by about half as a result of IUU fishing.”
She continued: “Our government sees the nation’s future in the ocean. For the past decades, we considered ourselves an agriculture country, putting the sea on the backburner. Now it is time to bring it to the fore. We want any assistance possible from any country to maximise the capacity we have and help manage our marine resources, in sovereignty and sustainability.”
This year, the 2nd BTC and 5th ICTBF are being combined into a single conference programme, taking place at the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel, Bali, Indonesia on 19-20th May. A special programme will bring diverse sectors even closer together to ensure the ecologically, socially and economically sustainable development of Indonesia’s tuna fisheries.
The event is being supported by the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF), which has been helping MMAF to improve the management and governance of Indonesia’s one-by-one tuna fisheries via collaborative workshops at both the national and regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) level. Outcomes have included the development of target reference limits, design of catch and effort controls, and the implementation of improved monitoring and compliance systems.
For more details and to register for the event, please visit http://www.btc-ictbf-2016.kkp.go.id
