JP\/4\/Maluku<\/p>\n
LIPI to conduct marine census in Halmahera Sea<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) plans to carry out a
\ncensus of marine resources in the Halmahera Sea, off the eastern
\npart of North Maluku, to compile a database on the sea's
\nbiodiversity.<\/p>\n
The program, called the Halmahera Expedition, will be start in
\nSeptember 2005, LIPI head Umar A. Jenie said.<\/p>\n
The planned expedition is part of a cooperation agreement
\nsigned on Friday by LIPI and the North Maluku provincial
\nadministration. The agreement also covers research in other
\nareas of natural resources, as well as training and education for
\nthe local community and small and medium-sized businesses. The
\ntraining aims to educate the local community on how to exploit
\ntheir rich local natural resources in a sustainable way and help
\nboost the economy of the province, which has just started to
\nrecover from years of sectarian strife. The various programs
\nwill cost around Rp 4.5 billion (about US$492 million).<\/p>\n
Umar said that LIPI had previously conducted several similar
\nmarine resource censuses in 2003 in the Makassar Strait, and
\naround the islands of Bangka and Belitung.<\/p>\n
He added that a number of overseas research institutions from
\nJapan, the U.S. and some European countries had expressed
\ninterest in participating in the new expedition plan.<\/p>\n
North Maluku Governor Thaib Armaiyn said during the signing
\nceremony that the joint program with LIPI was expected to help
\nthe province in the development of its rich natural resources
\nparticularly the marine sector.<\/p>\n
He said that the marine life census should provide
\ncomprehensive data on the potential of the marine resources,
\nwhich in turn would attract new investment.<\/p>\n
\"An implementable and marketable development planning scheme
\nis needed to optimize North Maluku's natural resources management
\nin an integrated, directed and guaranteed way and thus raise the
\nliving standards of the North Maluku community,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The province was previously part of Maluku, but after two
\nyears of conflicts and riots, starting in 1999, the province was
\nsplit into North Maluku, with the provincial administration
\nseated in Ternate, and Maluku, with Ambon as its capital.<\/p>\n
About 8,000 people died and 4,000 were injured during the
\nconflict. Thousands of houses, offices, schools and markets were
\nburned down or destroyed, and around 700,000 people were
\ndisplaced.(005)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp4maluku-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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