Marine management a challenge for regions

SURABAYA (JP): The transfer of marine management from the central government to provincial administrations will pose a large challenge for the regions, an official said here.

The director general of capacity and institutional development at the Ministry of Maritime Exploration, Tommy H. Purwaka, said the central government should take immediate and intelligent action to anticipate this transfer.

He was speaking at a seminar on maritime investment on Wednesday. The two-day seminar, being held at the Hyatt Regency Surabaya, was organized by the ministry in cooperation with PT Proconfo Indoexpo.

A regulation on regional autonomy was issued in May, and is expected to be implemented next year. However, many people have found fault with numerous aspects of the regulation, including its failure to spell out how the provinces and the central government will divide revenues.

Tommy said transferring marine management, which was in accordance with the regional autonomy regulation, would require well-prepared human resources. "Prompt action must be taken or we'll be left farther behind other countries in maritime development."

"The ability to attract domestic and foreign investors for maritime projects is a big problem. Monitoring foreign vessels in our waters, the need for maritime experts and the absence of (provincial-level) regulations on maritime exploration and the exploitation of marine commodities also pose big challenges," Tommy said.

"Several provinces are ready with the institutional matters, including the establishment of fishery and maritime offices and maritime councils," he said. "The substantial question is are the provinces really ready to manage the budget from maritime businesses. Are they ready to construct the required infrastructure and make relevant regulations for (domestic and foreign) investment?"

He also warned the people were not prepared and still poorly informed about the administrative rights a province and regency had over its maritime resources. "This reality could lead to unnecessary conflict between regencies."

He said a regency or mayoralty had administrative rights over a four-mile area of the sea, while provinces had the rights over a 12-mile area.

The director of business development at the Ministry of Maritime Exploration, I Made Nurjana, said he believed the implementation of the regional autonomy regulation, particularly regarding maritime exploration, would prove difficult for the provinces but was vital.

"We've been left behind. We produce only four tons of fish per annum, while China produces 15 tons. We consume only 10.5 kilograms of fish per year per capita, or 23.5 kilograms below Malaysia, 17.5 kilograms below Thailand and 31.5 kilograms below Singapore," Nurjana said. (nur/sur)