Indonesia is promoting cooperation for the development of sustainable aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to make this sector a key driver for future food security. "The development of sustainable aquaculture is crucial as a primary driver for meeting future food needs and will boost national economic growth," said Secretary-General of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Heriyanto Adi Nugroho, as quoted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on Sunday (May 26, 2024). Indonesia hosted the ASEAN-Australia Indo-Pacific Workshop on the Use of Technology for Sustainable Aquaculture in Bali on May 21-22. Aquaculture production in the Asia-Pacific region has grown from 64.1 million tons in 2008 to 126 million tons in 2021. Representing Australia as a co-organizer, Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Tiffany McDonald emphasized Australia's concrete commitment to ASEAN and cooperation with the Pacific region, particularly in implementing the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), including promoting sustainable aquaculture practices.
In addition to implementing the ASEAN-Australia Joint Leaders Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises, this workshop also fulfills commitments made by ASEAN and Australian leaders at the Special ASEAN-Australia Summit in March 2024 in Melbourne, which prioritized food security, sustainability, and the digital economy. Speakers and participants also visited the Superior Shrimp Broodstock and Shellfish Production Center (BPIUUK) in Karangasem to directly observe the use of technology in the cultivation of shrimp and shellfish broodstock. The workshop was attended by ASEAN member countries, as well as representatives from Timor-Leste, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and representatives from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Secretariat.
