"Two-thirds of Indonesia's territory is water. Indonesia's future depends on how we can manage the sea," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi noted at the press conference of Our Ocean Conference (OOC) here on Wednesday.
The Government of the Republic of Indonesia will host the fifth OOC in Bali on October 29-30, 2018.
OOC was first held in 2014 in Washington D.C. During this conference, global ocean stakeholders will meet to discuss ocean-related issues and seek solutions to these issues through declarations of commitments from countries, international organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and public figures.
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti had earlier invited all world leaders, ocean observers, and enthusiasts to participate in the OOC 2018.
"I would like to invite everybody, all leaders, ocean lovers, and ocean friends to come to Bali to Our Ocean Conference on 29th and 30th of October 2018," Minister Pudjiastuti stated.
OOC 2018 will discuss efforts to protect the ocean, conserve its resources, and gain sustainable business from it.
The conference will discuss ways to properly protect the oceans to remain healthy and productive for the fisheries business as well as for the next generations.
"We will also review all countries' commitments that have been pledged before and seek new commitments from nations in order to ensure the health of our oceans and seas in a sustainable manner for our children, for the next generation," she emphasized.
The coral triangle is a geographic terminology referring to over 6,500,000 square kilometers of water, with over 600 species of coral reefs and covering 76 percent of all species of coral reefs in the world, the most fertile marine ecosystem. This was conveyed by Director General of PRL, Brahmantya Satyamurti Poerwadi.
"Maintaining aquatic environments, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, and fish, is the responsibility of all people. Marine debris can interfere with the existence of living creatures in the water and can affect the ocean tourism industry. Free Plastics Ocean is Indonesia's commitment that requires cooperation of all people," Poerwadi stated.
OOC 2018 will reflect Indonesia`s strong commitment to protecting the ocean and making it healthier.
Reporting by Muhammad Razi
Editing by Azis Kurmala
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
