Yogyakarta urged to explore its rich maritime resources

Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta province, with a coastline totaling 110 kilometers across its four regencies, has yet to fully exploit its marine resources, a recent seminar on the subject concluded.

The one-day seminar entitled "Exploring the Nautical Resources of the Southern Sea of Yogyakarta" at Yogyakarta's Sheraton Hotel on Wednesday recommended that, in order to raise the province's income, the administration should take more serious efforts to explore the province's maritime resources, which had been ignored for years.

"The central government, through the Ministry of Maritime and Fishery affairs, will fully support Yogyakarta's administration in its efforts to exploit its maritime territory in the Indian Ocean," announced Indroyono Soesilo, head of the research and development board at the ministry.

The seminar was organized by the Jakarta-based Suara Pembaruan daily in cooperation with Gadjah Mada University's Center of Maritime Technology.

Yogyakarta has 19 beaches in the regencies of Gunung Kidul, Bantul and Kulon Progo.

However, only a small-scale fishing port in Sadeng, Gunung Kidul has been established so far.

Records from 1999 had indicated that fish production was 1,184 tons, worth just Rp 6.7 billion, which contributed only 0.26 percent of the province's gross domestic product (GDP).

Experts have estimated that the amount of fish caught there (in 1999) was only 15 percent of the total in the waters off the southern coast of Yogyakarta.

Nur Yuwono, an expert in maritime technology at Gadjah Mada University believed that fish catches from Yogyakarta province was far below the natural stock. "Therefore, fisherman need greater assistance from the province to improve their catch."