Blue Economy Concept Can Generate Business Oportunities Worth US 1,2 Trillion

Surabaya, E Java - By implementing the Blue Economy concept in Indonesia, business opportunities worth US$1.2 trillion can be generated. Hence, the concept should be implemented for the welfare of the people, said Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister, Sharif Cicip Sutardjo during a seminar on the opportunities and challenges of implementing the Blue Economy concept, at the University of Airlangga, on Thursday. "By implementing the Blue Economy concept, job opportunities can be generated and the value of products and services can be increased," said the minister. The Blue Economy concept will also result in `zero waste¿ production. "In Indonesia, two factories in Central Java and North Sumatra are currently applying the concept," he said. A local factory called Danau Toba, in North Sumatra, has implemented `zero waste¿ production by using the head of the Nila fish as cosmetic materials, its tail as a meatball and its blood as crackers. The maritime affairs and fisheries ministry is currently preparing a roadmap for the implementation of the Blue Economy concept to promote sustainable marine management. In the development roadmap 2013-2025, the ministry is planning to develop the `zero waste' concept in Western and Eastern Indonesia. Seaweed and animal waste will be mixed to make compost fertilizer, he said. Around 6.5 million tonnes of fish are caught in the Indonesian waters every year, and more than 12 million hectares of Indonesia's waters are used for aquaculture. Approximately 70 percent of 60 oil and gas basins in Indonesia's waters are estimated to have oil reserves that add up to 9.1 billion barrels. About 80 percent of the industries and 59 percent of the cities in Indonesia are located in the coastal areas. The ministry will implement the Blue Economy paradigm in several parts of the country in 2013, to speed up the development of the marine and fishery industry.(*)