Surabaya to Host World Congress on Blue Economy

Surabaya, E Java (Antara) -- Surabaya in East Java is set to host the 9th world congress on blue economy as an approach for industrial activities and a way to tackle current economic challenges, a spokesperson said. "This time, Surabaya has been chosen to host the congress. The 9th congress is a follow-up of the previous one held in Madrid, Spain, in 2013," Founder of the Indonesian Blue Economy Foundation Dewi Smaragdina stated here on Monday. She added that the congress will take place from April 13 to 15. According to Smaragdina, five countries have registered to participate in the congress so far, including Japan, Australia, Germany and Brazil. She revealed that Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Environment Affairs Indroyono Susilo and Gunter Pauli, the initiator of the concept of blue economy, will be the key speakers at the event. Furthermore, success stories of practitioners who implemented aspects of blue economy in their industries will be shared on the second day of the congress. On the last day, participants will be invited to join a field visit to the mangrove cultivation ponds of the Fisheries and Maritime Polytechnic in Sidoarjo and to a training center of the University of Surabaya in Trawas. Smaragdina further noted that blue economy was a new concept that was more environmentally friendly than green economy, which has often been propagated, and deals with how waste can be used for material production. (*) Reported by Fiqih Arfani