"Dissemination of GEF 6 CFI Indonesia Program Results Received Positive Response to be Replicated in Other Countries"

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) represented the Republic of Indonesia as a delegation at the 24th Annual Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) and Coastal Partners Conference held from May 14–16, 2025 in Athens, Greece.

The Indonesian delegation (KKP) attended the international forum, the 24th Annual Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) and Coastal Partners Conference on May 14, 2025 in Athens, Greece.

The LME-24 is a global forum for key stakeholders in marine and coastal fields such as marine protected areas (MPA), marine spatial planning (MSP), integrated coastal management (ICM), and climate change adaptation. LME-24 served as a platform for sharing lessons and best practices from GEF-supported projects and strengthening regional ocean governance mechanisms through collaboration among LME programs, regional seas initiatives, and regional fisheries bodies.

The Indonesian delegation consisted of seven members, including Moh Abdi Suhufan (Senior Advisor to the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MKP) on Fishers and Fishing Vessel Crew Protection), Syahril Abd. Rauf (Director of PSDI/NPC), and the GEF 6 CFI Indonesia project management team.

In a forum also attended by FAO, UNDP, UNEP, WWF, NOAA, and IOC/UNESCO, Indonesia was the only country honored to deliver an opening address, alongside representatives from the Barcelona Convention Secretariat, Greece, GEF, UNEP, and UNDP. This reflects international recognition of Indonesia’s leadership in sustainable marine ecosystem management.

Through the Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) GEF 6 program, Indonesia demonstrated its strategic role and received high appreciation from the GEF Secretariat for achievements such as implementing quota-based Measured Fishing and establishing a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Buru Island.

KKP presented the implementation achievements of the CFI Indonesia program at the 24th Annual Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) and Coastal Partners Conference, held in Athens, Greece, from May 14 to 16, 2025.

The Indonesian delegation also presented internationally recognized best practices, such as Sasi Management and Sasi Label. These approaches, including Sasi Label and Sasi Co-Management, have been acknowledged by FAO and global partners as models that can be replicated in other countries. The Sasi Label implementation in Laha Village, Ambon, even won third place in the National Tourism Village Awards by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. GEF OFP Indonesia also commended Sasi Co-Management as a means of expanding conservation areas through Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM).

Through the KKP, the Indonesian delegation successfully explored potential global funding collaborations with several international donors.

In the forum, Indonesia also had the opportunity to collaborate and explore global funding potential through various strategic avenues. FAO Headquarters, , through Victoria Varga (Senior Fishery Specialist), signed a Concept Note for a USD 20 million program on Sustainable Transboundary Management on Tuna Fisheries in FMA 713, 714, 715, 716, and 717.

WWF GEF Agency, through Allesandro Candeloro (International Water Specialist), also agreed on a USD 10 million grant MoU titled Sustainable Small Scale Fisheries on Indonesia Quota Based Fisheries Zone 3, to be signed at UNOC3.

Simultaneously, the GEF Secretariat, via Ines Benabdallah (Environmental Specialist), opened the opportunity to submit GEF9 grant proposals and expressed willingness for Indonesia to host IWC11 in 2027. UNDP, through Khristine Gudczinski (Communications Specialist), also invited Indonesia to apply for a Call for Partnership at the upcoming UNOC3 in Nice. The World Bank, through Fisseha Tessema, Senior Environmental Specialist, also offered a similar opportunity by opening the possibility to submit grant proposals in support of small-scale fisheries in coastal areas.

The positive response in the form of collaboration and cooperation from various global funding partners is closely tied to the strong implementation of the GEF 6 CFI Indonesia grant program titled The Ecosystem Approach To Fisheries Management (EAFM) In Eastern Indonesia (Fisheries Management Area – FMA 715, 717 & 718) Components A, B, and D. This program is a collaboration between WWF GEF Agency as the grant provider and the Directorate of Fisheries Resources Management (PSDI) under the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries (DJPT) as the executing agency, running from December 23, 2019 to December 31, 2026.