Ministry, NTB boost blue economy partnership

According to a written statement in Mataram on Friday, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono and the NTB Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal at the office of the ministry in Jakarta.

The governor said that the collaboration between the provincial government and the ministry is designed for five years, with nine strategic areas.

The programs include synchronizing marine spatial planning, strengthening sustainable capture fisheries and aquaculture governance, downstreaming and marketing of fishery products, monitoring marine resources, and increasing human resource capacity in the marine and fisheries sector.

“All of this is aimed at strengthening NTB’s maritime economic competitiveness while maintaining the sustainability of marine ecosystems,” Iqbal emphasized.

He stated that the agreement will also strengthen the integration of central and regional government policies in marine spatial management.

“With the synchronization, marine sector development is expected to be more focused, provide certainty for investment, and create greater added value for coastal communities,” he said.

He hopes the benefits of the collaboration will be directly felt by fishermen, fish farmers, fisheries business actors, and coastal communities through increased productivity, strengthened downstream processing, expanded market access, and the development of more competitive human resources.

“The blue economy approach that underpins the collaboration is also expected to maintain a balance between economic growth and the sustainability of marine resources,” Iqbal said.

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Translator: Nur Imansyah, Cindy Frishanti Octavia