23 Sep Advancing Sustainable Marine Tourism in Indonesia with Green Fins

From August 5th to 7th, 2024, the Green Fins team, represented by CTC and The Reef-World Foundation, conducted a series of meetings with the national stakeholders in Jakarta, Indonesia. The stakeholders included the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and Persatuan Usaha Wisata Selam Indonesia (PUWSI), an association of Diving Companies in Indonesia. These discussions were crucial in aligning national policies and strategies for marine tourism with the principles of sustainability promoted by Green Fins.

Over the past few years, the growth of marine tourism has been significant. While contributing appreciably to local economic development it has also raised environmental challenges. In response to these challenges, Green Fins has become a pivotal effort in minimizing the ecological impact of tourism activities. This initiative focuses on preserving marine ecosystems by promoting eco-friendly practices and sustainable tourism activities that protect fragile coral reefs and the marine animals who live there.

Since 2018, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Reef World Foundation (RWF), CTC has been the national coordinator for Green Fins in Indonesia. The main responsibilities are to assess and train the dive and snorkel operators to be active Green Fins members. As Green Fins members, dive-operators are required to implement environment friendly codes of conduct. By September 2024, CTC will have assessed 43 dive operators from Bali, NTT and Maluku. Additionally, since December 2023, CTC has been qualified to train and certify individuals within the country, further building capacity for this initiative to continue its expansion in Indonesia.

The meeting series also served as a stepping stone towards the upcoming National Workshop on Green Fins, scheduled for February 2025. This workshop will bring together a broader range of stakeholders, including policymakers, tourism operators, NGOs and local communities, to further strengthen Indonesia’s commitment to sustainable marine tourism.

By fostering collaboration between government, industry and NGOs, CTC hopes that Indonesia is creating a replicable model of sustainable marine tourism that benefits both local economies and the marine environment, ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy its waters and its vibrant ecosystems.

Writers: Adam Putra, Marthen Welly
Photos: Marthen Welly/CTC

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