KKP Evaluates Reclamation for Surabaya Waterfront Land Project
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is conducting an evaluation of the implementation of Marine Spatial Utilisation Conformity (KKPRL) as an instrument for business certainty and investment in the marine sector, particularly in accelerating the strategic national project (PSN) Surabaya Waterfront Land.
Director General of Marine Spatial Planning at KKP, Kartika Listriana, emphasised that the utilisation of marine space serves not only as a legal framework but also as a control mechanism to ensure activities align with marine spatial planning.
“Control in marine spatial utilisation aims not only to maintain resource sustainability but also to create new economic opportunities, open up employment, boost economic activities, and support inclusive growth,” she stated in an official release in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Kartika added that the government is currently focusing on equitable welfare for coastal communities through strategic programmes such as fishing villages, pond revitalisation, and the development of renewable new energy.
She stressed that marine spatial planning plays a crucial role in safeguarding national resilience amid geopolitical uncertainties and global supply chain changes.
In the evaluation, KKP involves several experts to provide input from perspectives including land value capture, environmentally friendly reclamation, sustainability accounting, and marine spatial planning that supports inclusive development.
Professor Eko Ganis Sukoharsono, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Brawijaya University, views the PSN Surabaya Waterfront Land as a planned intervention that integrates technical, environmental, ecological, social, and regulatory aspects.
“The project must not merely pursue the speed of creating new land but must maintain a balance between development needs and natural processes,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Professor Suntoyo from the Faculty of Marine Technology at ITS emphasised three main pillars of reclamation: ecology, social, and economy. He highlighted the importance of protecting marine habitats, public access for fishermen, and fair distribution of benefits.
KKP stated that the evaluation of marine spatial utilisation for the PSN Surabaya Waterfront Land must also consider several aspects, including accelerating environmental approvals, improving documents, and enhancing communication and community involvement in the development process.
Surabaya Waterfront Land is a reclamation project for six artificial islands on the eastern coast of Surabaya with a total area of 1,084 hectares and an investment value of approximately Rp72 trillion.
This project was designated as a PSN during the administration of President Joko Widodo, with one island developed as a Special Economic Zone (KEK) for modern integrated fisheries, encompassing processing industries, cold storage, international seafood trade, shipyards, and export-import logistics.