Indonesia to Host Our Ocean Conference 2018 in Bali

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti answers reporters’ questions after a Limited Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, Monday (22/10). (Photo by: Rahmat/Public Relations).

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is slated to open the 2018 Our Ocean Conference (OOC) to be held in Bali on 29-30 October 2018. Of the 1,900 delegates planned to attend, there are six presidents and one vice president as well as 36 ministers from friendly countries attending the conference.

“The number of ministers attending the conference might increase since Marshall Island has just confirmed that their president will attend it. If the president attends it, the minister might attend too. There are also 200 civil societies to attend, such as WWF and many other community organizations,” Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti told reporters after a Limited Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, Monday (22/10).

The conference, according to Susi, will prioritize to discuss the issue of Marine Conservation Area, which is already committed by many countries, also plastic waste which caused marine pollution, maritime security, climate change, and sustainable fisheries.

Regarding the benefit for Indonesia in organizing the 2018 OOC, the Minister said that Indonesia would demonstrate its leadership in the international maritime affairs. “If we want to become an international maritime fulcrum, we must indeed show our leadership,” Susi said, adding that every single international maritime policy will certainly affect us, as Indonesia is the country with the second biggest sea areas in the world.

According to Susi, to prevent illegal fishing and face climate change, the 2018 OOC will discuss marine protected areas with illegal unreported and unregulated fishing as the main issues.

“We hope the conference will make all countries jointly committed to sustainability of fishing industry, the blue economy. Therefore, the issues discussed in the event will be from sustainable fisheries to climate change,” Susi concluded. (MAY/SDS/RAH/OJI/ES) (GWH/LW/Naster)