Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the management and protection of marine national parks by enhancing scientific data and information to support evidence-based policymaking and sustainable conservation.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni delivered the statement during a meeting with executives of OceanX, a global nonprofit marine research organization, in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Raja Juli said Indonesia’s marine ecosystems, including priority conservation areas such as Komodo National Park and Wakatobi National Park, hold exceptional ecological value. He emphasized that the Ministry of Forestry remains fully responsible for managing strategic conservation programs in these protected marine areas.
The minister said effective marine conservation requires strong scientific research and reliable baseline data. He added that the ministry will continue to improve underwater mapping, biodiversity inventories, and other scientific assessments to strengthen marine national park management across the country.
The ministry also stressed that national sovereignty must remain the fundamental principle governing all forms of research and exploration activities in Indonesian waters.
OceanX Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Science Officer Vincent Pieribone welcomed the ministry’s commitment and expressed the organization’s readiness to support Indonesia’s conservation priorities. He said OceanX would contribute its advanced research vessel to joint expeditions involving seabed mapping, megafauna surveys, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, and deep-sea exploration.
The ministry stated that all research activities would operate under its leadership in coordination with relevant government agencies while fully involving Indonesian scientists and researchers. It added that all scientific data, samples, and research findings generated through the collaboration would remain the property of the Indonesian government.
Beyond scientific research, the partnership will also focus on capacity building for technical teams and marine national park managers, as well as producing high-quality media content to promote Indonesia’s marine conservation efforts internationally.
As a follow-up, the Ministry of Forestry and OceanX are preparing a memorandum of understanding and finalizing technical plans for joint research expeditions, which are scheduled to begin in several marine national parks later this year. (*)
