The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has declared its commitment to conserve 30% of Indonesia's Marine area by 2045, also known as the 30 by 45 initiative. The expansion of Marine Protected Areas in Indonesia is aligned with Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets, which are expected to ensure fish resource sustainability, protect carbon stocks, and preserve coastal ecosystems and small islands for community welfare. To achieve this target, the Directorate of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (DMBC) of the MMAF has prepared plans for the expansion of Marine Protected Areas, especially in Zone 3 of Penangkapan Ikan Terukur, which includes Indonesian Fisheries Management Areas (FMA) 714, 715, and 718.

The focus group discussion (Doc: Yudi Herdiana).

To gather input for the intended plans and approaches, the DMBC held a focus group discussion on Wednesday, 15 February 2023 in Hotel Permata Bogor, with the aim of gaining inputs from the experts and academics on the approaches and methodology of spatial analysis. The discussion was attended by 28 participants, who consisted of academia from various universities, as well as marine conservation experts in Indonesia. Also attending the discussion were conservation practitioners from the Rekam Nusantara Foundation, the Coral Triangle Center, Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara, WWF, Yayasan WWF Indonesia, and Yayasan Konservasi Indonesia.

Participants appreciated the process developed by MMAF and suggested notes to advance the data and methodology. The discussion results will also be followed up by MMAF to improve the existing plans. This approach and methodology will also be replicated in other zones, in order to map the potential expansion of Indonesia's Marine Protected Areas.