Nailul Huda, an economist at the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), emphasized the significant potential of the blue economy, particularly in marine sectors like capture fisheries and ecotourism. He noted that areas such as the Java Sea and regions like Papua and Sulawesi have rich fish habitats that can sustain local fishermen and contribute to the broader economy. Additionally, the nutritional value of fish from Indonesian waters is high, which underscores the need for investment in capture fisheries. Huda also highlighted the immense potential of ecotourism, valued at up to USD 759 billion, which remains largely untapped and can greatly benefit coastal communities.
Firman Hidayat, Deputy for Maritime Resources Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, stated that Indonesia is targeting underutilized marine resources to enhance economic growth. The maritime sector currently contributes 7.9% to the national GDP, with an aim to increase this to 15% by 2045. Despite stable economic growth of around 5% over the past two decades, the maritime sector has seen only about 2% growth in the last five years. A key government focus is promoting the downstream processing of maritime commodities, such as seaweed, which has high added value for products like bioplastics and biofuels.
