goodmorningpapua.com – The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) through the Sorong Coastal and Marine Resource Management Workshop (LPSPL), the Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management (Ditjen PRL) encourages the determination of a candidate for the Maksegara waters conservation area on the north coast of West Papua. This step is to support West Papua Province as a conservation province in maintaining the sustainability of marine and fishery wealth and potential.
This determination activity began to be carried out in conjunction with the declaration of Makbon District, Sorong Regency as a Conservation District on August 18, 2021. This is conducted in accordance with the Regional Regulation (Perda) of West Papua Province Number 13 of 2019 concerning RZWP3K, which mandates the allocation of marine space in the form of conservation areas.
Conservation areas are one of the KKP’s wise steps in managing marine space, which is stated in the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 31 of 2020. Conservation areas have certain characteristics as an ecosystem unit that is protected, conserved, and used sustainably.
This step is also in line with the direction of the Minister of Sakti Wahyu Trenggono that in the management of the area must use the principle of the blue economy (blue economy) whose goal is to maintain a balance between ecosystem sustainability and economic growth.
Tari added, the managing of conservation areas cannot be done only by the government, but also by the participation of all elements of society and other stakeholders. As in accelerating the determination and effectiveness of conservation area management, synergy is needed, especially in the preparation of zoning plan documents, strengthening human resource capacity, and public awareness.
The target area until 2024 is 23.40 million hectares. The conservation area that has been designated in West Papua Province has a total area of 4.53 million hectares. Of the total area, 65 percent or 2.94 million ha has been designated by the KKP, while 32 percent or 1.46 million ha has been designated by the Ministry of Forestry and Environment (KLHK), and 3 percent or an area of 135,300 ha has been reserved by the Governor. West Papua, awaiting determination by the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
A Head of Sorong LPSPL, Santoso Budi Widiarto, added that KKP proposed accelerating the establishment of the Maksegara waters conservation area including waters in Makbon, Selemkai, Mega and Moraid districts on the north coast of Sorong and Tambraw districts. As an extension of the central government in West Papua, LPSPL Sorong provides assistance to local governments in preparing zoning plan documents.
Meanwhile, a Head of the Environmental Service of Sorong Regency, Abdullatief Suari, revealed that the diversity in his area is a treasure that must be passed down to future generations.
The determination of the candidate for the Maksegara waters conservation area is also supported by the Nusantara Nature Conservation Foundation (YKAN) as a development partner. He also hopes that marine resources can be managed sustainably in the Maksegara waters conservation area, especially for protected biota such as turtles, dugongs and seagrass habitats, coral reefs, and mangroves.