At the 5th Our Oceans Conference in Bali, Indonesia this week MantaWatch announced a 3-year program to strengthen shark and ray conservation management and sustainable livelihoods in Indonesia.
Through this commitment MantaWatch will target three specific goals:
- Strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships for marine wildlife management within two marine protected areas in support of Indonesia’s sustainable tourism development goals;
- Reducing bycatch within small-scale coastal fisheries in support of Indonesia’s sustainable fisheries development goals; and
- Accelerating related Indonesian leadership and research excellence.
Visiting Distinguished Statesman of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace John Kerry highlights the need for urgent action and collaboration to preserve our oceans for future generations.
The Our Oceans Conference (OOC) was launched in 2014 in Washington DC, and brings together global ocean stakeholders to seek solutions for urgent ocean issues through declarations of commitments from countries, international organisations, NGOs, the private sector, and public figures. Through the theme “Our Ocean, Our Legacy”, OOC 2018 emphasised the importance of ocean health and sustainability for present and future generations, and catalysed efforts to realise a healthy ocean, safeguarding the security and rights of the sea, and the sustainability of ocean resources.
Opened by President of Indonesia Joko Wido, and with announcements by dignitaries that included the Prince of Wales and former US Secretary of State John Kerry, OOC 2018 set 287 targets to improve ocean sustainability with investments totaling US$10 billion committed. Among these were 23 new commitments made by the Government of Indonesia, including an important new initiative launched by Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti that will monitor and track the delivery of existing OOC commitments.
Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti launches a new initiative to monitor and track the implementation of OCC commitments.
