The improvement and development of human resources must be conducted through the ministry’s priority programs and respond to challenges in the development of marine and fisheries sectors.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono plans to establish the Ocean Institute of Indonesia to produce quality Indonesian maritime human resources by transforming the marine and fisheries education sector.

Trenggono noted in a press release here on Wednesday that superior human resources were required to realize the implementation of a blue economy to restore marine health and potential that would become Indonesia's economic strength in future.

Since superior human resources are crucial to the successful implementation of the blue economy, he called on marine and fisheries higher education institutions to develop educational flexibility and innovation.

Hence, apart from providing vocational education, natural sciences should also be taught to develop an understanding among students about the importance of maintaining the marine ecology and making the seas healthier, he affirmed.

The minister noted that higher education institutions, under the auspices of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, should be able to produce quality human resources with science and technology-based integrity, productivity, creativity, and innovation.

"Transformation of Marine and Fisheries Education, through the establishment of the Ocean Institute of Indonesia, must be able to formulate concrete implementation and action plan. The improvement and development of human resources must be conducted through the ministry’s priority programs and respond to challenges in the development of marine and fisheries sectors," he affirmed.

Several priority programs include expanding quality marine conservation areas, implementing measured fishing, maintaining environmental carrying capacity through eco-friendly fish cultivation practice to increase fishery production for export and domestic markets, marine spatial planning to protect the coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as Love the Ocean Month.

Head of the Marine Research and Human Resources Agency (BRSDM) of the ministry I Nyoman Radiarta stated that development of the Ocean Institute of Indonesia also aimed to improve quality education standardization, open more opportunities for younger generations to become the main actors in the marine and fisheries sectors, as well as implement an efficient institutional management.

It is part of the ministry’s commitment to creating dynamic, productive, and talented marine and fisheries human resources that are internationally acknowledged, he stated.

Meanwhile, Director of the Polytechnic of Fisheries Business (AUP) Muhammad Hery Riyadi Alauddin assessed that educational transformation can develop a strong blue economy, maintain sustainable marine and fishery resources, as well as realize the ministry’s priority programs.

Furthermore, he noted that the number of AUP Polytechnic graduates in 2022 reached 287, comprising 16 applied masters from various institutions and 271 applied bachelors from 32 provinces throughout Indonesia.

Out of the figure, 103 graduates had been accepted to work, while 169 people had undergone the recruitment process in several companies or returned to work for the regional governments that were partners of AUP Polytechnic.

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Translator: Razi Rahman, Uyu Liman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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