Maluku Governor Regulation No. 6 of 2026 establishes the legal basis for the Provincial Marine Protected Area Management Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD), strengthening effective, sustainable, and coastal community-oriented governance of marine protected areas.

The Government of Maluku Province has strengthened the governance of its marine protected areas through the enactment of Governor Regulation No. 6 of 2026, which formally establishes the Class A Marine Protected Area Management Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD). Enacted on 22 June 2026, the regulation marks a significant milestone in strengthening professional, adaptive, and sustainable management of marine protected areas in one of Indonesia's largest archipelagic provinces.

Discussions on the establishment of the Maluku Marine Protected Area UPTD during the Meeting to Discuss the Draft Maluku Governor’s Regulation on Amendments to Maluku Governor’s Regulation No. 9 of 2025 concerning the Status, Organisational Structure, Duties and Functions, and Operating Procedures of Regional Technical Implementation Units within the Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, following the Ministry of Home Affairs' official recommendation set out in Letter No. 100.2.2.6/1186/OTDA dated 9 April 2026 on establishing the UPTD under the Maluku Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office. Jakarta, 12 May 2026.

The establishment of the UPTD represents a strategic step to strengthen marine protected area management—not only as a mechanism for conserving marine biodiversity, but also as a foundation for food security, sustainable fisheries management, coastal economic development, and improved livelihoods for communities.

Maluku Province has designated 2,667,405.61 hectares of Provincial Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) within a total conservation area of 4,352,611.66 hectares across 23 sites. These protected areas represent an important contribution to Indonesia's national 30×45 conservation target while reinforcing the country's commitment to global efforts to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

 The Marine Protected Area on Buru Island, Maluku Province, is designated to protect critical habitats including leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting areas, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs as part of efforts to strengthen marine biodiversity conservation and support sustainable fisheries management. (Photo: Maluku Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office)

To carry out its mandate, the UPTD will manage two operational regions. Operational Region I covers South Buru, Buru, West Seram, Central Maluku, and East Seram Regencies. Operational Region II covers Aru Islands, Southeast Maluku, Tual City, Tanimbar Islands, and Southwest Maluku Regencies.

Head of the Maluku Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office, Erawan Asikin, said that the establishment of the UPTD is an important step towards strengthening marine protected area governance to ensure a balance between marine ecosystem protection and the sustainable use of marine resources.

“The establishment of the Maluku Provincial Marine Protected Area UPTD is expected to maintain a balance between protecting marine ecosystems, promoting the sustainable use of marine resources, and improving the well-being of coastal communities that depend on these resources,” Erawan said.

A facilitation meeting for the establishment of a new marine protected area in Fisheries Management Area (WPP or FMA) 715 held in Bula, East Seram Regency, on 29 August 2025. The initiative was supported through the Global Environment Facility–6 Coastal Fisheries Initiative (GEF-6 CFI) Indonesia grant in collaboration with the Government of Maluku Province as part of efforts to strengthen marine protected area governance. During the event, the Head of the Maluku Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office also delivered remarks and reaffirmed the provincial government's commitment to strengthening the sustainable management of marine protected areas.

According to Erawan, the Governor Regulation was developed through a collaborative process involving the Government of Maluku Province, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and conservation partners. This collaboration laid the foundation for a management system capable of addressing the practical challenges of managing marine protected areas.

He acknowledged, however, that managing such an extensive network of protected areas continues to face challenges, including limited human resources, infrastructure, and financial support. To address these challenges, the provincial government is strengthening institutional capacity through the adoption of the Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD) management model while expanding partnerships with local communities, universities, civil society organizations, and the private sector to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of marine protected area management.

Results of GEF-6 CFI Indonesia's Support

The establishment of the UPTD is the culmination of a long-term process to strengthen marine protected area governance, supported by the Global Environment Facility–6 Coastal Fisheries Initiative (GEF-6 CFI) Indonesia in collaboration with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Government of Maluku Province, district governments, and development partners.

The 2024 South Buru Expedition, supported through a GEF-6 CFI Indonesia grant, was the first student-led scientific expedition conducted in South Buru Regency. From 18 September to 20 October 2024, 40 students and four faculty supervisors from the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK), IPB University, representing the Fisheries Diving Club (FDC), HIMAFARIN, HIMASPER, and HIMITEKA, carried out field surveys to identify the ecological potential of coastal and marine ecosystems. The expedition generated important scientific recommendations supporting the designation of the South Buru Marine Protected Area by the Provincial Government of Maluku in 2025.

Through GEF-6 CFI Indonesia grant support, a series of strategic initiatives has been facilitated, including strengthening institutional capacity, preparing technical and policy documents, and supporting the designation of three Provincial Marine Protected Areas in Buru, South Buru, and East Seram Regencies. The programme has also supported the establishment of the UPTD, the development of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) mechanism, and preparations for implementing the BLUD management model to establish a more sustainable and self-reliant financing system for marine protected areas.

Adipati Rahmat, Project Manager of the GEF-6 CFI Indonesia Project Management Unit (PMU), said the establishment of the UPTD demonstrates how multi-stakeholder collaboration can produce lasting institutional change beyond the lifetime of the project.

“The establishment of the UPTD is the result of long-term collaboration among national and local governments, communities, universities, civil society organizations, and development partners. Strong institutions provide the foundation for managing marine protected areas effectively while delivering tangible benefits to coastal communities," he said.

He added that marine protected areas are no longer viewed solely as conservation sites, but increasingly as development instruments that support ecosystem-based fisheries management, biodiversity conservation, food security, and Indonesia's Blue Economy agenda.

“We believe marine conservation must deliver ecological, social, and economic benefits simultaneously. Strengthening institutional capacity through the UPTD is an important step towards ensuring that marine protected areas are managed professionally, adaptively, and sustainably. We hope Maluku's experience will serve as a good practice that can be replicated across Indonesia's coastal regions.”

Adipati further noted that the establishment of the UPTD demonstrates how GEF investments can generate impacts beyond short-term project outcomes by building institutional foundations to support the long-term management of more than 4.3 million hectares of marine protected areas in Maluku. Maluku's experience also shows that international investments aimed at strengthening local governance can generate policies, build institutional capacity, promote innovative financing mechanisms, and create replicable models for marine protected area management.

With the establishment of the Maluku Provincial Marine Protected Area UPTD, the province now has a stronger institutional foundation for managing its marine protected areas through science-based, collaborative, and professionally managed approaches. The initiative is expected not only to safeguard the rich marine biodiversity of eastern Indonesia, but also to position marine conservation as a long-term investment in food security, coastal livelihoods, and sustainable ocean development.