Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has designated more than 325,000 hectares of West Wetar waters in Southwest Maluku District, Maluku Province, as a protected marine area aimed at preserving biodiversity and sustaining coastal communities.
The Director of Ecosystem Conservation at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Firdaus Agung, stated in a statement on Friday that the designation is part of the government’s commitment to protecting high-value marine ecosystems in eastern Indonesia.
“The park in the West Wetar waters consists of a core zone covering 2,726.42 hectares, a limited-use zone covering 322,408.07 hectares, and other use zones covering 103.53 hectares. This zoning arrangement serves as the basis for measured conservation area management based on ecosystem protection,” he explained.
According to him, the designation of this marine conservation area was made through the Decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Number 89 of 2025, dated December 31, 2025.
The area, named the West Wetar Marine Park, is the newest marine conservation area in Maluku Province, with a total area of 325,238.02 hectares, encompassing two management units: the waters of West Wetar and the waters south of Wetar Island.
The designation process was led by the Maluku Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office, with assistance from Konservasi Indonesia (KI) through a series of processes that began in 2022.
This assistance included a Marine Rapid Assessment, the development of zoning and management plans, and consultations with stakeholders at the village, district, and provincial levels.
In the same statement, Konservasi Indonesia’s Marine Ecology Manager, Jimy Kalther, explained that the waters of West Wetar are part of a broader ecological system, including a movement corridor for marine megafauna.
“This area not only serves as a local habitat, but also as part of the movement route for marine megafauna. Therefore, its management must be based on science to ensure the protection of its ecological function,” he pointed out.
The Marine Rapid Assessment also identified two important fish spawning locations: in Ustutun Village, Lirang Island, as a spawning area for imperator fish (Monotaxis grandoculis) and in Telemar Village as a spawning area for a species of snapper (Macolor macularis).
Furthermore, the area also contains an atoll with excellent coral reef cover.
“The park in the Western Wetar waters was established to protect coral reefs, including atolls, seagrass beds, and mangroves, while also maintaining the migration routes of marine mammals such as whale sharks, sperm whales, and pygmy blue whales,” Kalther noted.
