Ministry set to work on marine tourism mapping
Ministry set to work on marine tourism mapping
JAKARTA (JP): The directorate of sea territory at the Ministry
of Maritime and Fishery Affairs is set to work on marine tourism
mapping as part of the preparations for regional autonomy in
January.
"We'll probably begin the project next year. All these years
we have not had such a map and never been really aware of the
real marine resources we have," Sea Territory Director Col. Aji
Sularso told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
The map would be important in providing detailed information
on potential tourism sites and marine resources such as coral
reef areas for diving and fishing grounds, Aji said.
"So far only the Seribu Islands have a complete map of its
habitat, flora and fauna and marine resources," he said.
The ministry has been working on the mapping of land and sea
borders in relation to the implementation of regional autonomy,
he said.
"It is urgent that we have a nation-wide chart as soon as
possible to identify the marine resources and anticipate possible
disputes over natural assets between regions," Aji said.
Indonesians have always been told that the largest
archipelagic country has the world's longest shore line of 88,000
kilometers, he said.
"But the majority of the people don't know what it means and
what to do with the resources. We're sitting on a giant gold mine
here. Marine tourism is one of the fields that has not been
properly managed due to years of the government's land-oriented
vision," he said.
On the issue of sea zoning under regional autonomy, the
officer reiterated that sea borders are only tools to mark a
region's periphery.
"The sea border is an imaginative line. It only functions in
an administrative manner but it is not meant to be used by the
regions to claim their sea zones.
"Even with regional autonomy, all Indonesians are free to fish
or to make a living within the country's territory as long as
they do not damage the sea environment," Aji asserted.
Conflict
On Wednesday, marine ecologist Ngurah N. Wiadnyana said in
Purwokerto, Central Java, that the exploitation of marine
resources had the potential to cause conflicts between fishermen.
"Conflicts among fishermen living in neighboring regencies
could erupt unless the regency administrations arrange the
operation of everything clearly before the regional autonomy law
is implemented next year," Wiadnyana said on the sidelines of a
seminar on the conservation of Segara Anakan Strait in Cilacap.
The seminar took place at the Hendral Soedirman University
campus in Purwokerto.
"It is clear that each regency has its own water territory,
however determining sea border lines is technically not that
easy," he said. "It is impossible to divide the water into lots."
He said that administratively regencies were entitled to
exploit the sea up to four miles off the shoreline, and 12 miles
for the provinces. "In practice the fishermen will find it
difficult to be aware of the border limits."
"Clear regulations and good cooperation among the regencies
will make the fishermen aware that the sea is theirs following
regional autonomy," he said.
The government has outlined nine fishery zones ahead of
regional autonomy -- the Strait of Malacca zone, the South China
Sea zone, the Strait of Makassar zone, the Banda Sea zone, the
Arafura zone, the Luktumini and Seram zones in Maluku, the North
Pacific and the Indian Ocean zones. (45/edt/sur)