The announcement came at the conclusion of “Defying Ocean’s End”, an international marine conservation conference held in Mexico that brought together researchers from more than 20 countries and some of the world’s largest environmental groups.
“We are already one of the regional leaders in marine conservation, but we want to become global leaders and prove to the world that it is possible for economic development and biodiversity conservation to exist in harmony,” Dahuri said. “Only through protected areas can we guarantee the long-term prosperity of our fishermen.”
The announcement, made days before Sunday’s World Ocean’s Day, came after Dahuri and the president of Conservation International, Russell Mittermeier, signed a letter of intent regarding the conservation and sustainable management of Indonesia’s marine biodiversity. Indonesia forms part of the Coral Triangle – the region containing the richest coastal and marine biodiversity in the world.
“This is one of the great conservation commitments made in the past several years and we are extremely impressed with the minister’s decision,” said Mittermeier. “Conservation International’s Global Conservation Fund (GCF) has decided to provide an initial investment of $1 million to create a trust fund for marine protected areas that will ensure there are resources for managing these areas in perpetuity. We are hopeful other donors and NGOs will join us in getting the ball rolling.”
The Defying Ocean’s End conference was convened to help reverse the decline in health of the world’s ocean. Leaders from Conservation International, Environmental Defense, International Seakeepers Society, IUCN-World Conservation Union, Natural Resource Defense Council, Ocean Futures Society, Seaweb, The Nature Conservancy, The Ocean Conservancy, Wildaid, Wildlife Conservation Society, World Resources Institute and World Wildlife Fund attended among others, as did representatives from government, industry and academia. In total, more than 100 marine experts from 20 countries participated. The conference was convened by Sylvia Earle and Gordon Moore and was supported by The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.