The inaugural launch of what aims to become an annual international marine conservation event promoting environmental sustainability in Indonesia and beyond will take place in Bali on 19-20 January 2024.
Created by Sky Blue Sea Foundation and organized by Darmawan & Associates, Bali Ocean Days has been developed in partnership with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs and the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum. During the conference and the accompanying Blue Ocean Days Showcase Exhibition, key government officials, institutional finance managers, sustainable economy stakeholders, environmental NGOs, academics, and business leaders will all join together to recover, rebuild, and sustain ocean environments.
“Tanah Air Indonesia” means “Our Land and Waters” and reflects how Indonesians view their archipelagic nation, comprised of more than 17,000 islands stretching like an emerald garland along the equator connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans. As the world’s largest island nation, Indonesians share a deep understanding of the central role played by the oceans and seas in the continuing existence of planet Earth.
Those participating at Bali Ocean Days will hear experts share the latest news and insights on reducing marine pollution and ocean acidification, protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems, reversing the overfishing crisis, and increasing the economic and social benefits from the sustainable use of marine resources.
The Bali Ocean Days Conference will facilitate the exchange of ideas, strategies, and local and international initiatives between high-ranking officials, Blue Economy stakeholders, NGOs, academics, and ocean lovers. Organizers have compiled a conference where local community members, industry, and public sector officials will mutually inspire through exchanging insights, research, and technological means available to clean up our rivers, streams, and oceans essential to the planet’s future.
A Sky Blue Sea Foundation Awards Ceremony will celebrate and acknowledge leaders and changemakers in the circular economy and ecological transition as part of the two-day Conference.
Pertamina Supports Bali Ocean Days Conference
Indonesia’s state-owned oil and natural gas corporation has joined Bali Ocean Days as a major event sponsor. Pertamina’s CEO, Nicke Widyawati, commenting on the upcoming conference, said: “Pertamina welcomes the opportunity to support an event standing at the forefront of the battle for marine conservation and ecological transition. Pertamina is committed to implementing sustainability principles in all of its operational activities, to benefit the community and the nation’. Beyond fossil energy sources, the group is developing geothermal infrastructures, hydrogen projects, as well as biofuel production plants in various regions of Indonesia, with a firm resolve to accelerate Pertamina’s transition and enact a vision to ‘Energizing People and Planet with Green Energy’.
Bali Ocean Days to Feature Outstanding Speakers
The Conference promises an impressive array of eminent speakers appearing at Bali Ocean Days, headquartered at the ocean-front beach of InterContinental Bali Resort Jimbaran.
Indonesia Blue Economy Governance & Development (Friday, 19 January 2024)
- Mr. Jodi Mahardi – Deputy for Maritime Sovereignty and Energy from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs. Mr. Mahardi will share details on Indonesia’s success in launching the world’s first publicly offered sovereign blue bond, as a sustainable finance tool for economic growth, environmental preservation, and safeguarding of unique maritime ecosystems.
- Mrs. Vivi Yulaswati – Deputy for Maritime Affairs and Natural Resources/National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS). The Indonesian Blue Economy Roadmap 2023-2045 supports coordinated sectoral growth in renewable energy, biotechnology, marine conservation, and sustainable management of ecosystems. By 2045, Indonesia targets Marine Protected Areas (MPA) covering 30% of Indonesian waters, growth in the maritime sector to become 15% of the GDP, and for the marine sector to generate 12% of all employment.
- Mr. Sigit Reliantoro – Director General of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control. The Ministry has been involved in various marine biodiversity conservation efforts. Mr. Sigit Reliantoro will address climate change control issues, by promoting low-emission lifestyles.
- Mr. I Nyoman Radiarta – Chairman of The Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research and Human Resources. Mr. Radiarta participates in the elaboration of government policy programs to expand marine conservation areas, implement quota-based fishing, reduce plastic waste, and optimize technology available to the fishing industry.
- Mr. Norimasa Shimomura – Resident Representative of the United National Development Program (TBC). The UNDP is a co-founding partner of the Blue Finance Accelerator Program with the Government of Indonesia and the Asian Development Bank. UNDP’s Innovative Financing Lab, has actively supported the launching by Indonesia of its sovereign blue bond.
- Mr. Nico Barito – Special Envoy of The Republic of Seychelles for ASEAN. Learn how Seychelles has innovated conservation efforts with its debt-for-nature swap, where portions of the national debt fund maritime conservation projects.
- Mrs. Anka Farita – Oceans for Prosperity Project (LAUTRA), World Bank Indonesia. LAUTRA supports the achievement of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework 30×30 target. The project also aims at enhancing the management of priority fisheries, upgrading coastal communities’ livelihoods, and resilience to flooding and rising sea levels.
- Mr. Luky Adrianto – Dean of the Fisheries and Marine Sciences Faculty at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB). Professor Luky will discuss a key initiative by the AIS Forum, an innovative Blue Economy Development Index (BEDI) that tracks advancements of the blue economy in Archipelagic and Island States, including Indonesia.
Ecotourism and Preservation of Coral Reefs and Marine Biodiversity (Friday, 19 January 2024)
- Mrs. Rili Djohani – Founder of Coral Triangle Center (CTC). A marine ecologist and accomplished diver, Rili Djohani has witnessed the destructive impact of dynamite, cyanide fishing, and other harmful practices in Coral Triangle waters and, as a result, decided to create an independent foundation to protect the reefs and educate local fishing communities. CTC has become a ministry-affiliated training center for marine conservation and has expanded to protect 387,000 hectares of critical marine habitat in seven sites.
- Mr. Edi Frommenwiler –Founder of Pindito Cruises and the Grand Blue Project. A marine explorer, a Raja Ampat pioneer, and among the first to build and operate a Phinisi liveaboard in Indonesia, Edi possesses a comprehensive knowledge of the Raja Ampat reefs. Working with local government, he established the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) in East Indonesia. Edi has launched his Grand Blue Project – an online video library archive.
- Mrs. Abigail Alling – CEO and Founder Biosphere Foundation. Located in North Bali, Abigail’s Foundation provides educational programs on marine ecosystem health and biodiversity, coral reef conservation, and waste recycling.
- Mrs. Virly Yuriken, Chairperson, Misool Foundation. The Misool Foundation works to protect the reefs of Raja Ampat by empowering local communities. The team combines marine governance, waste management, community empowerment, and species conservation.
Waste Treatment and Reduction of Ocean Plastic Pollution (Friday, 19 January 2024.)
- Mr. Rahyang Nusantara – National Coordinator Aliansi Zero Waste Indonesia. Working with an association of ten environmental organizations, The Alliance fosters an understanding of safe and waste-free principles.
- Mr. Rocky Pairunan – Ocean and Plastic Waste Manager – National Plastic Action Partnership. Rocky works to connect government, the private sector, civil society organizations, and financial institutions in implementing circular economic principles and achieving a 70% reduction in marine plastic debris in Indonesian waters by 2025.
- Mr. Tom Peacock-Nazil – Co-Founder and CEO of Seven Clean Seas. In 2022, Seven Clean Seas collected almost 1,000 tons of plastic off Indonesian coastlines, aiming to clear up 1,800 tons more by the end of 2023. The collected plastic is sent for recycling or incinerated in waste-to-energy plants.
- Mrs. Elise D’Epenoux – Head of International Communication, The Sea Cleaners. The Sea Cleaners is an organization that combats ocean plastic by applying innovative technology to collect plastic waste from high-concentration areas before it sinks or breaks down into microplastics. Mobula 8, operating in Bali, is a boat that is also a solid waste cleaning station suitable for port areas, while the Manta, a giant factory boat, is capable of treating large quantities of plastic waste in open waters.
Sustainable Fishing and Protection of Endangered Species (Saturday, 20 January 2024)
- Mr. Imam Musthofa Zainudin – Marine and Fisheries Program Director, World Wildlife Fund Indonesia (WWF). This program highlights improving populations of iconic and threatened species, reducing sharks and rays’ bycatch, increasing sustainable production of key fisheries commodities through aquaculture improvements program, optimizing the management of Marine Protected Areas, and supporting marine tourism development at the lowest possible ecological footprint.
- Mr. Mark Erdmann – VP Marine Asia-Pacific Field Division Conservation International. Dr. Erdmann is a renowned coral reef ecologist and senior advisor for Conservation International Indonesia’s Marine Program. Resident in Raja Ampat for over twenty years, Mark has worked at the forefront of conservation efforts in the Bird’s Head Seascape.
- Mr. Edy Setyawan – Senior Elasmobranch Ecologist, University of Auckland. A senior marine scientist specializing in spatial ecology and protection of elasmobranch species – rays, sharks, and skates – in Indonesian waters. Edy’s primary focus is the population size, home range, habitat use, and behavioral movement of reef Manta rays.
- Mrs. Shannon Hardisty – Strategy Manager, International Pole & Line Foundation. One-by-one caught tuna (pole-and-line, handline, or troll) by coastal small-scale fisheries is the only tuna fishing method considered environmentally safe, socially responsible, and sustainable.
Mangrove & Seagrass Blue Carbon Ecosystem Management (Saturday, 20 January 2024)
- Mr. Benjamin Michael Brown – Research Associate at The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Dr. Brown supports a range of integrated mangrove management projects in cooperation with the Indonesian government, the World Bank, the German Development Bank (KFW), and Blue Forests (Yayasan Hutan Biru). He has worked in mangrove rehabilitation programs in various regions of the archipelago.
- Mrs. Virni Arifanti – Principal Researcher, BRIN Research Center for Ecology & Ethnobiology. Arifanti leads the Mangrove Ecosystem Restoration and Conservation (MERCi) group. Her research demonstrates the significant level of greenhouse gas emissions lost from mangrove destruction and highlights the importance of conservation programs in achieving national climate mitigation targets.
- Mr. Joost Noordermeer – Coastal Engineering Team Leader, Witteveen Bos Indonesia. The ‘Building with Nature’ program by Witteveen Bos Indonesia and Wetlands International ranks among the top ten UN World Restoration Flagships.
- Mrs. Lucinda Middleton – Researcher, Charles Darwin University. A PhD candidate from Charles Darwin University, Lucinda undertakes groundbreaking research on mangrove ecosystems in West Kalimantan.
Coastal Communities Empowerment & Education to Marine Conservation (Saturday, 20 January 2024)
- Mr. Cliff Marlessy – Indonesia Program Director, LMMA Network International. LMMA Network International operates in Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu and participates in the development of inclusive grassroots programs.
- Mrs. Mareike Huhn – Founder, Banda SEA & Luminocean. Mrs.Huhn has handled community work and marine education in the Banda Islands since 2012. Banda SEA finds solutions to the plastic waste and overfishing issues that threaten the biodiversity of the Moluccas coral reef areas.
- Mr. Arnaud Brival – CEO, The Sea People. The Sea People’s mission is to combine science and technology with local and traditional knowledge, skills, and management techniques. The Raja Ampat-based organization focuses on capacity-building, strengthening local community members’ abilities to implement marine conservation techniques.
- Mr. Faridz Fachri – Fisheries Program Manager, Yayasan Pesisir Lestari. The Bali-based marine conservation organization preserves small-scale fisheries and advocates for the rights and welfare of coastal communities in Indonesia.
Bali Ocean Days Venue
The venue for the two-day Conference and showcase is the 5-star InterContinental Bali Resort at Jimbaran – a key sponsor of the Conference.
The Bali Ocean Days Conference will be open on both days from 9:00 am until 5:30 pm.
InterContinental Bali Resort Jimbaran on Google Maps
Tickets to experience the exciting speaker’s program can be purchased online. Ticket options include one-day tickets for either day of the two-day program or a cost-saving ticket that covers both days. Detailed program timings and online ticket link .
Sky Blue Sea Foundation Awards
The two-day event will culminate with The Sky Blue Sea Foundation Awards, a honors ceremony developed in cooperation with the AIS (Archipelagic & Island States) Blue Startup Hub to recognize organizations that have demonstrated exceptional Environmental Sustainability Goals (ESG) for taking significant actions towards the conservation of Indonesia’s marine ecosystems.
Bali Ocean Days Showcase – An Eco Trade Show
During the entire two days of the Bali Ocean Days conference, a limited number of exhibition kiosks are available for rental at only Rp. 7.5 million each to allow product display and on-stage presentation and provide a point of contact with entrepreneurs, NGOs, renewable energy producers, waste management operators, and other conference participants. The Eco Trade Show will display the products and services of companies and organizations implementing sustainable practices.
InterContinental Bali Jimbaran Resort Website
About Sky Blue Sea Foundation
The Bali Ocean Days Conference is presented by Sky Blue Sea Foundation (Yayasan Laut Langit Biru) – a non-profit organization established in 2018 by Mr. Paul Tanjung Tan, principal of ARK Design Architects, and a group of founding partners.
Sky Blue Sea Foundation (SBS) envisions Indonesia as a nation committed to developmental and environmental sustainability, reflecting its place as a maritime nation with an almost limitless potential as a Blue Ocean Economy.
SBS is optimistic that Blue Ocean Days will become an annual event of global importance in the existential battle for environmental conservation and sustainability.
For further information:
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