Bali – The implementation of the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum Summit which will be held on 10-11 October 2023 is believed to be Indonesia’s momentum in developing the blue economy.
Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) Professor Luky Adrianto assesses that the strategy for implementing the blue economy is the country’s ability to prove that there is a balance between the sustainability of the marine ecosystem and the economic value that can be obtained and distributed fairly.
“Blue Economy can be considered as DNA (identity) for island and archipelagic countries, including Indonesia,” he said.
He also said that Indonesia as an archipelagic country could demonstrate to the international audience the rights-based management of marine and fisheries for fishermen and business actors.
Professor Luky Adrianto gave an example of the Government’s successful implementation of a rights-based blue economy for small fishermen.
Some examples include small fishermen in Southeast Sulawesi, marine ecotourism in Banyuwangi, and the Mangrove Botanical Gardens in Surabaya.
It is also believed that the implementation of the first AIS Summit will have a positive impact, especially in terms of cooperation in increasing coastal tourism capacity.
Executive Director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) Tauhid Ahmad assesses that there are various works that AIS countries can agree on. Such as facilitating the flow of tourism services between countries, facilitating document services such as visas and so on, recommendations for hotels and restaurants that already have standards, and comparative studies to AIS countries to study coastal tourism.
“This cooperation can take the form of certain packages that can bring in foreign exchange, not only to Indonesia but to the AIS countries,” said
Tauhid reminded that to support the realization of this cooperation, it is necessary to handle and improve waste on the Indonesian coast, especially Jakarta as the capital city. This is to create a sustainable coastal tourism industry.
Tidak hanya itu, pengelolaan lingkungan secara umum sampai ke hulu pun harus menjadi prioritas. Jika langkah ini dilakukan maka potensi wisata pesisir akan merata, mulai dari wilayah Barat maupun Timur Indonesia.
“Ini lantaran keindahan pesisir Indonesia Timur masih tetap terjaga karena tidak adanya daerah industri yang menyebabkan limbah,” tuturnya.
