CTC has extended the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) of the Republic of Indonesia for the next five years. By signing the agreement, CTC has committed to continue supporting the Government of Indonesia in strengthening the management of marine protected areas (MPAs) and sustainable fisheries, as well as building personnel and institutional capacity.

The MoU signing was carried out by the Executive Director of CTC Rili Djohani and the Secretary General of the MMAF of the Republic of Indonesia Antam Novambar on December 21, 2020. There are at least five kinds of support mentioned in the document as part of CTC’s commitment to the MMAF, namely the support for the Coral Triangle Initiatives on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) in Indonesia and the establishment and management of effective MPAs and MPA networks.

In addition, CTC will also support the capacity building of key stakeholders involved in the establishment and management of MPAs, the capacity building of the field fisheries extension officers regarding marine conservation and sustainable fisheries management, and the capacity building of Fisheries Management Institutions in the Indonesian Fisheries Management Areas (LPP WPPNRI).

Specifically, support from CTC to the MMAF of the Republic of Indonesia will focus on seven provinces, namely Lampung, West Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and North Maluku. CTC has proactively supported numerous activities related to MPA establishment, MPA personnel and institutional capacity building, and sustainable fisheries in almost all provinces in Indonesia. Since 2010, CTC has helped protect 387,000 hectares of critical marine habitat by establishing five community-based MPAs in the Nusa Penida Islands in Bali, Ay-Rhun, Lease, and Buano islands in Maluku, and the Sula Islands in North Maluku.

To ensure that this partnership will be carried out well, both CTC and MMAF have also agreed on having regular monitoring and evaluation activities at least once every year. Therefore, both parties will be able to have a complete assessment of overall annual activities and obtain lessons learned and best practices before deciding which ones to continue or need further improvement.

CTC followed up the MoU signing by creating detailed joint agreements with the Directorate General of Marine Spatial Planning (Ditjen PRL), the Bureau of Research and Human Resources (BRSDM), and the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries (Ditjen PT) of the MMAF. Moreover, various discussions and meetings on these agreements have been conducted online since the end of January 2021. Through the collaborations, CTC is expected to make more contributions to coastal and marine protection, as well as to the sea biodiversity in Indonesia.