Biofouling and Invasive Aquatic Species are essential issues for the marine world in various countries, including countries in the EAS Region (East Asia). Countries in the EAS region are members of the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project. This program is a global initiative that brings together key partners to respond to global environmental problems, namely invasive aquatic species introduced via biofouling. This project was initiated by IMO (International Maritime Organization).
ITS, through the STKK (The Marine & Earth Science and Technology) Research Center, became one of the representatives of Indonesia as an EAS regional member country that actively contributed by participating in the Second Regional Task Force (RTF) meeting, which was held in the Philippines on November 23-25 2022. The 2nd RTF meeting aims to review the Regional Strategy draft further and discuss its implementation, as well as to consider ongoing programs or initiatives from the state and the private sector in the management of biofouling and IAS (Invasive Aquatic Species).
Prof. Dr. I Ketut Aria Main Man, M.Sc, represented STKK ITS in RTF-2. In this meeting, he presented the ongoing development of an antifouling coating system and has carried out the optimization process and laboratory and field tests of various polymers for antifouling coatings.
In the future, STKK ITS will continue collaborating with countries that are members of the RTF to succeed in the 4 PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for The Seas of East Asia) agenda in overcoming the problem of biofouling in 2023. The agenda is to secure regional ratification of the regional strategy on biofouling and action plans, finalize economic assessments on the impact of biofouling management in LPC/Lead Partnership Countries (Indonesia and the Philippines), support the development of national strategies and action plans in LPC, and to conduct communication and outreach- www.pemsea.org.
There will be a Joint International Conference on Sustainable Management – The 4th Sustainability and Resilience of Coastal Management
The problem of biofouling which is increasingly threatening the world’s waters, including Indonesia, is a concern for us all.
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