Nearly 50 percent of Indonesia`s damaged coral reefs rehabilitated

Antara 5 Nov 12;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - About half of the damaged coral reefs in Indonesia, which accounted for approximately 67 percent of the total coral reef population in the country, have been rehabilitated, according to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharief Cicip Sutardjo.

"We have carried out rehabilitation efforts in cooperation with the World Bank since five years ago, under the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program (Coremap)," he stated in Boalemo district, Gorontalo province, on Monday.

Sharief said the damaged coral reefs recovered fast, adding that the rehabilitation process was not easy.

"The program is in line with the government`s plan to develop a `Blue Economy' in order to support the national economic growth," he noted.

The Blue Economy plan focuses on sustainable exploitation of Indonesia`s maritime potential to maximise the nation`s economic growth.

Indonesia has also established cooperation with Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Thailand and Timor Leste to protect the Coral Triangle region.

"It`s like the Amazon of Brazil, the maritime Amazon is located in Indonesia," Sharief said.

The Coral Triangle program is also supported by Australia and the United States. (*)

Editor: Heru