MMAF Enhances Transparency of Global Marine Conservation Data

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has ensured that data on Indonesia’s marine conservation areas is increasingly transparent and globally recognised through alignment with the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). This information is now openly accessible to the public via the Protected Planet platform. This step is part of MMAF’s efforts to ensure that data on Indonesia’s marine conservation areas is accurately recorded, transparent, and aligned with international standards. Additionally, this initiative strengthens Indonesia’s position as a country committed to the protection and management of marine resources. Director General of Marine Spatial Management, Koswara, stated that this data synchronisation is a strategic step in enhancing global recognition of Indonesia’s achievements. “This synchronisation ensures that Indonesia’s contribution to global marine conservation is accurately recorded, credible, and internationally recognised. It also serves as an important foundation in supporting national targets and global agendas such as the CBD and the 30x30 target,” he said in an official statement in Jakarta on Tuesday, 5 May 2026. He added that integrating data into the global system also opens up opportunities for international cooperation, including access to blue economy-based funding, capacity building, and knowledge exchange between countries. MMAF is also promoting the expansion of marine conservation areas as part of a long-term strategy. The target to expand to 97.5 million hectares by 2045 is part of the blue economy policy, which balances ecosystem protection with sustainable utilisation for community welfare. These efforts simultaneously support the global Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans, as well as strengthening food security and the competitiveness of Indonesia’s marine sector. Meanwhile, in official communication to the UNEP-WCMC Secretariat on 23 April 2026, Director of Ecosystem Conservation at the Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management, Firdaus Agung, expressed appreciation for the update of Indonesia’s marine conservation area data in the WDPA system. He assessed this step as important in enhancing the credibility of Indonesia’s reporting at the global level. Firdaus explained that in reporting conservation area achievements, Indonesia uses an approach based on international legal provisions, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 and the reporting framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This approach ensures that the data submitted is not only accurate but also internationally recognised. “For reporting under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Indonesia uses the territorial sea area as the basis for calculating marine conservation area coverage,” he clarified. He added that Indonesia’s territorial sea covers up to 12 nautical miles from the archipelagic baseline with a total area of around 3.25 million square kilometres. Through this approach, MMAF proposes that WDPA use the same reference in calculating the percentage of Indonesia’s conservation area achievements. Thus, national data and global reporting can be aligned and minimise differences in interpretation. MMAF ensures that strengthening data and expanding conservation areas will continue to be priorities moving forward. In line with the policy of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, this step is expected to maintain the health of marine ecosystems while improving the welfare of coastal communities through sustainable blue economy development.