Indonesia Announces Four Commitments for Sustainable Ocean Management at OOC Kenya
The Indonesian government has announced four new commitments to strengthen sustainable ocean governance at the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Mombasa, Kenya, held from 16 to 18 June 2026, as part of efforts to protect marine ecosystems.
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono stated that the commitments include strengthening marine spatial planning, expanding conservation areas, improving the management effectiveness of conservation zones, and developing a blue carbon project.
“The four commitments we have delivered underscore Indonesia’s concrete steps in strengthening marine spatial management, expanding and enhancing the effectiveness of conservation areas, and developing nature-based solutions such as blue carbon for climate change mitigation,” Trenggono said in an official statement from the ministry in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to Trenggono, these commitments could also unlock opportunities for international funding support of up to USD 260 million through various cooperation schemes to support coral reef conservation, marine ecosystem restoration, and the development of Ocean Centres.
The first commitment is the strengthening of marine spatial governance through the integration of land and sea spatial planning into national and provincial spatial plans. The government will also formulate cross-regional zoning regulations and incorporate national strategic blue carbon areas into national spatial planning.
The second commitment involves the designation of 700,000 hectares of new marine protected areas in 2026. Trenggono said this is part of efforts to achieve the target of marine conservation areas covering 30 percent of total national waters by 2045. “This demonstrates Indonesia’s seriousness in safeguarding marine biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as achieving the target of expanding marine conservation areas to 30 percent of total national waters by 2045,” he said.
In addition to expanding conservation areas, Indonesia is also committed to evaluating the management effectiveness of 19.10 million hectares of existing marine protected areas. The evaluation aims to ensure that conservation benefits are optimally felt by both the environment and coastal communities.
The fourth commitment is the development of a blue carbon pilot project model, which will serve as a template for replication across various regions of Indonesia in the future.
Trenggono noted that the challenges of ocean management require cross-border collaboration due to the borderless nature of the seas. “Indonesia is ready to deepen partnerships with friendly nations, international organisations, and all stakeholders to accelerate real action, from commitment to implementation, in order to keep the ocean healthy and productive for present and future generations,” he said.