Generating Awareness as Islands Country of Indonesia (part 3)
author: Satriyo Panalaran (panalaran@gmail.com)

First Step in Managing the Islands Country of Indonesia

1. Mainstreaming issues in the maritime sector

Social problems faced by coastal communities (especially for fisherman) as well as many potential of resources which has not exploited prove that this nation has not fully realized the whole potency of sea which can support the strategic roles as maritime country. Some recommendations that can be applied to handle several problem as mentioned in part 2, among others:

1. There must be particular formulation to relieve the fisherman household poverty, in matter of developing solution for fisherman capital. For example, by activating the micro finance institutions or by developing flexible funding model in refunds.
2. The condition of communities that scattered in many islands needs great attention in order to development of public infrastructure, as well as in providing the access of transportation that enable to connect with other land.
3. The Government should support the marine commodity of our country so that can lead the world export market.
4. The Government should re-identify the potential of marine resources and the processing industry, as well as in maritime services sector which has been dominated by foreigners.

Our challenges is generate public awareness of the potential and problems as the islands country. Generating public awareness on the strategic role of the sea, it is expected will produce policies which are pro on marine issues (is called as “ocean policy”) as impacted the encouragement of public awareness. Public awareness can be built through a formal education and by promoting marine issues in community. According to Dr. Arif Satria, beside the necessary of mainstreaming on marine issues, we must have ocean leadership that is a leader who fully realize about the role of marine environmental in whole aspect such as: ecology, economics, geopolitics, as well as history and socio-cultural.

2. The Concept of Integrated and Sustainable Development

The marine development is begins by the awareness of important role of the sea in ecology, socio-cultural and economic. Marine from the ecologic view is a space where there are various ecosystem and occurs an interaction between organisms in a food chain. Therefore the damage or the extinction at a level of food chain has potency to disturb the existence of another level. Since the increasing role of ecologist, then was proposed the model of development which oriented to the conservation act and the sustainable resources utilization (Visser refer to Satria, 2009). Development in the cultural context (local wisdom) claim the development must involve the community as a subject of development. The development regardless the local wisdom can produce an inappropriate development moreover be able to harm the local community who live in the region. The big potency of marine resources is the function of sea as economic supporting. The sea also can deliver life to the traditional society, therefore the sustainable utilization should be made for the welfare of the people.

The good concept of development is concept of integrated and sustainable development. The integrated development means that the development should be formulated together so can accommodate all stakeholder, including the communities that lives in. the sustainable development means that the results of development should be advantageous for the present generation until the future. The sustainable development imply to concern with environment by not doing excessive exploitation and fully conscious to keep environmental preservation by not polluting and damaging the environment.

Generating Awareness as Islands Country of Indonesia (part 2)

author: Satriyo Panalaran (panalaran@gmail.com)

Challenges in Managing an Islands Country

Indonesia is islands country which has large marine resources. In this chapter will be identified several problems on an islands country. Those problem are categorized in three major aspect, namely socio-economy aspect, environmental aspect, and the defense and security on sea territory.

2.1. Socio-economy aspect

Problem in socio-economy aspect is described by condition of fisherman household and household of small islands communities. In fact there are many household of fisherman who are poor. The major problem which causing the discrepancy of economy between one region and another is because uneven development. The centralized development in the past led to emergence of underdeveloped region which impact on the lower regional economy, problem in accessing education and health services. This matter also motivating people to migration to urban. In the recent period, the concept of development is no longer centralized, however it is not easy to achieve equitable development on an islands country. Indonesia has about 5000 of islands are inhabited by communities, where the community settlement tend to spread. The development challenges which faced by islands country is organize an infrastructure construction which separated geographically between one region and another. This problem is causing amount per item of infrastructure which is provided by government should be more.

As described before, the lack of infrastructure yields inequalities of social and economy between communities. For example, the difficulty of access to educational facilities can cause the low of education level so that has also resulted the lower welfare. The lack of infrastructure especially on the small islands cause peoples only be able to work traditionally that results in low productivity of society.

Another problem faced by fisherman household from economic view is the limited financial resources (capital). Whereas the capture fishing industry is industry which require a lot of capital. Capture fisheries sector is difficult to obtain capital from banks, it due to there is no certainty in profit, high risk business, as well as there is no guarantee that can be offered by fisherman to the banks. It addition with many records of “Non Performing Loan” by traditional fisherman. The difficulty of access to capital result the fisherman rely on loans which obtained from middlemen (in Indonesia is called as Tengkulak).

2.2. Environmental aspect

Free definition of environmental based on author’s opinion is The living space where occur the interaction between biota and its relationship with a substance or inanimate object (which is called as abiotic) which support the living of organism. There are several problems related to the environmental, among others is global warming, environmental degradation and overfishing in marine area.

Trend of global warming that occurred in last decade has effect on marine environment. Global warming has caused the death of coral reefs (coral bleaching) especially in Indonesia marine areas. As we know, the ecosystem of coral reefs has rich nutrient that contains a lot of phytoplankton and inviting small fish, and further it will generating the food chain in an ecosystem. Trend of global warming is also assumed as a factor of sea level rise along the coastline. The sea level rise on coastal region is feared to flood some land areas so that should be planed the mitigation effort to minimize the impact.

Environmental degradation can be caused by natural process or artificial process. The natural coastal degradation for example is phenomenon of abrasion, erosion and sedimentation in coastal areas. Actually, those phenomenon is a natural occurrence, but because of it can interfere on human life, then it is classified into coastal problems. The environmental degradation by other natural processes that is global warming, as mentioned before. Environmental degradation by interference of human has example among others marine waters pollution, damaging fishing tools, and changes in function of land use. Changes of land uses in marine areas potentially can damage the existences of ecosystem of coral reefs or mangrove.

Other problem beside environmental degradation is overfishing in some waters regardless of the preservation of fish resources. The incident of overfishing and coastal environment degradation causing fisherman are forced to capture fish on the sea farther from their home. It certainly require larger capital and more pressing the fisherman life. Coastal environment degradation is directly impact on traditional fisherman life. It confirms that the issue of coastal protection should not only focus on the protection for human settlement, but it must be consider on the principle of environmental sustainability as well socio-economic improvement to coastal communities.

2.3. Defense and security aspect of sea territory

Indonesia is a country which has 2/3 sea area of the total areas of the State, and immediately adjacent to marine borders of some neighboring countries. Therefore, the strength of the defense and security of the State should give more portions to the sea and air defense. The defense and security of sea territory is useful to confront the threat that incoming from marine borders, and also securing the territorial sea from the illegal fishing action, piracy, oil theft by tanker and smuggling prohibited goods.

Generating Awareness as Islands Country of Indonesia (part 1)

author: Satriyo Panalaran (panalaran@gmail.com)


Indonesia is maritime country which has big opportunity to utilize marine resource and marine services (including shipping and port services) sector. Indonesia is an islands country which has 5.8 million kilometer square areas of sea (or 2/3 of whole areas of this country). Indonesia has 13,466 of island (refer to “Badan Informasi Geospasial” data). Indonesia is country with the second longest coastline among others country. Coastal shore is an area which has high fishery productivity. It is because in this zone grow up ecosystem of coral reef; sea grass and mangrove. In general, all of this ecosystem has roles as nursery ground; breeding ground; and feeding ground of fish. Indonesia is also surrounded by two ocean (here is west Pacific Ocean and India Ocean) so it makes Indonesia supplied with fish because it is passed by path of tuna migration from Northern to Southern or otherwise. Important roles of coastal shore is caused in this zone relative calm from wave effect and has content of various mineral so the waters supports ecosystem to grow. Hence, the statement of Indonesia is second longest coastline can be descript the big potency of fisheries productivity.

Marine resources potency is not only coming from the capture fisheries, marine waters is also can be developed for aquaculture such as seaweed, clam, lobster, milkfish, etc. Aquaculture is also not small business sector, Indonesia has opportunity to become leading country from this sector. In fact, we have not become major exporter of aquaculture products. The superiority of aquaculture sector is businessman relative has certainty of production, in other hand, businessman are not dependent stock of fish which the longer it will decrease. As has been said before, the potential of marine sector is just not about production of fish, but also includes fish processing industry, marine tourism, renewable energy, marine biopharmaceutical, shipping logistic, port, offshore drilling, seabed minerals and other maritime services.

Today it can be said that Indonesia has not been able to utilize the whole of potency from marine sector. It can be seen from some evidence of which the absence of Indonesia as the main exporter of fishery products (even Indonesia just ranked fifth among countries of Southeast Asia), Indonesia still imports salts, business in fish processing is still small of counts, diversification of energy from energy of tidal current and waves has not been successful, shipping services are still widely supported foreign vessels, inefficiency of permitting and lack of facilities of port that causes logistics costs more expensive. Estimated potency of all marine sector can achieve US$ 1.2 trillion (or more than six times APBN of 2015). Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that Indonesia can become economically developed country if we can identify the challenges to manage an islands country.

Pentingnya multidisiplin keilmuan dalam pembangunan maritim

Bangsa Indonesia kini mulai tersadarkan atas penting nya perhatian yang lebih pada sektor usaha di laut. Pasca terpilihnya presiden ke-7 yang membawa visi Indonesia harus menjadi poros maritim dunia, hal ini disambut baik oleh banyak kalangan. Diskusi-diskusi hebat telah banyak diselenggarakan baik oleh kalangan akademisi hingga pengusaha. Pada umumnya, tujuan dari diskusi yaitu untuk membangun kerangka berpikir secara konstruktif dari berbagai sudut pandang (baik secara keilmuan, regulasi, lingkungan dan bisnis). Sehingga diskusi-diskusi tersebut telah banyak melahirkan pengetahuan baru, misalnya bagaimana kita memandang potensi laut ke depan, bagaimana upaya pengelolaannya (baik pada lingkungan maupun industri yang akan dikembangkan), siapa saja yang dapat terlibat di dalamnya, dll.

Pada awalnya memang ada perdebatan mengenai konteks “maritim” yang diusung ini. Apakah ini lebih condong pada industri dan jasa di sector pelabuhan dan pelayaran, atau apakah ini condong pada keinginan Negara untuk menguasai sumber daya laut. Namun ada baiknya, mari kita tinggalkan saja nafsu berdebat ini. Daripada memperdebatkan pecel harus di makan di atas piring atau di atas daun pisang, bukan kah lebih baik kita nikmati saja pecel nya? Namun ada hikmah dibalik perdebatan, yaitu menyadarkan kita bahwa pengembangan di sektor laut ini bisa sangat luas.

Potensi jasa dan industri di sektor laut ini sangat luas, dan sayangnya belum termanfaatkan dengan baik, Kita sebut saja di sektor perikanan dan kelautan, menurut menteri Susi (dalam majalah SWA edisi 2-15 april 2015) nilai potensi ekonomi di sektor perikanan dan kelautan mencapai US$ 1.000 miliar (atau sekitar Rp 13.000 triliun pertahun). Nilai ini hampir enam kali lipat lebih besar dari APBN 2015 yang senilai Rp 1.984 triliun. Adapun potensi di sektor perikanan dan kelautan yang dimaksud meliputi industri perikanan tangkap, pariwisata bahari, energi terbarukan, biofarmasitika laut, transportasi laut, minyak bumi dan gas lepas pantai, mineral dasar laut, industri dan jasa maritim, industri garam. Nilai tersebut bisa jauh lebih besar dari sisi kebermanfaatan jika memperhitungkan jasa-jasa kecil yang bangkit di sekitar pelabuhan. Dengan demikian tantangan besar di sektor laut bukan hanya harus mematikan illegal fishing ataupun mengahadapi mafia di industri perikanan ataupun migas.

Ada banyak pekerjaan rumah yang harus diselesaikan pemerintah, terutama di sektor industri jasa pelayaran dan pelabuhan, salah satu nya adalah ketegasan pemerintah untuk memberlakukan asas cabotage (muatan domestik harus diangkut oleh kapal berbendera Indonesia). Hal ini tentu akan mendorong beralihnya potensi muatan domestik yang diangkut oleh kapal asing ke kapal nasional, dan tidak menutup kemungkinan untuk mengambil alih potensi muatan laut internasional. Dengan berlakunya asas cabotage maka diharapkan jasa pelayaran nasional akan berkembang dan mendorong industri kapal untuk berkembang. Namun ada lagi persoalan lain yaitu menyangkut harga produksi kapal lokal yang lebih mahal dari pada mendatangkan kapal dari negara lain. Bank nasional belum memiliki kemudahan untuk melalukan pemberian pembiayaan (kredit) untuk pengadaan kapal ataupun modal usaha. Permasalahan ini bukan hanya dialami oleh jasa pelayaran cargo, namun juga dihadapi pengusaha perikanan tangkap. Tantangan lain di sektor pelabuhan pun tidak kalah besar, penerapan skema pelabuhan pengumpul dan pengumpan diharapkan dapat menjadikan efektif dalam pengembangan kawasan pelabuhan. Pelabuhan harus mengakomodir kebutuhan ruang terkait draft kapal, kolam pelabuhan, fasilitas pengangkatan/pengakutan cargo. Kebutuhan pelabuhan yang memakan biaya tidak sedikit ini menjadikan pemahaman bersama bahwa tidak semua pelabuhan harus dalam bertaraf internasional, selain itu skema pelabuhan pengumpul dan pengumpan akan mendukung meningkatnya pelayaran nasional.

Mengingat luasnya bidang-bidang usaha yang “bermain” di lingkungan laut, maka kajian mengenai kemaritiman, kelautan dan perikanan seharusnya dikembangkan secara komprehensif dari berbagai latar belakang ilmu dan pengalaman. Sebagai contoh ilmu kelautan dapat memberi masukan dari sudut pandang lingkungan lautnya, perikanan dalam teknologi penangkapan ataupun pengolahan, tenik perkapalan dalam pengembangan industri pelayaran, teknik sipil dalam perencanaan pelabuhan dan sistem transpostasi, teknik mesin dan teknik elektro dalam pengembangan energi terbarukan, teknik kimia dan bioteknologi dalam pengembangan biofamasitika, teknik perencanaan wilayah dalam penataan ruang pesisir, studi ekonomi dalam prediksi keekonomian maritim, studi hubungan internasional dalam memandang berbagai kebijakan dari sisi hubungan bilateral, dan konsentrasi studi lain yang tidak mungkin disebutkan satu persatu.

Tantangan kita bersama di sektor laut ke depan antara lain mengembangkan science dan teknologi (di masing-masing bidang), mengembangkan basis data dan sistem IT yang terintegrasi, mengkaji kembali kebijakan terkait peraturan pemerintah, mengkaji kembali efektifitas sistem yang telah berjalan, dan mungkin masih banyak lagi di luar pengetahuan kami.