JAYAPURA - The Papua Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP) encourages the residents in coastal areas to care and protect the sea in their area, to avoid pollution and damage of coral reefs and their ecosystems.

One of the things highlighted by the government today is the presence of plastic waste, which can be bad for fish habitats.

"But indeed, to increase public awareness in protecting the water area from this waste, it really needs to continue to be echoed. It cannot be once or twice, including maybe with programs or rewards so that it can encourage people to be more concerned," explained the Head of the Papua Province Marine and Fisheries Department, Iman Djuniawal, in Jayapura, Tuesday (21/2/2023). ,

According to Iman, the sea area is the veranda of the Indonesian state, so as a good citizen, we should maintain it.

"Because all that garbage can decompose in the sea. If we do not maintain the behavior of littering, especially into the sea, it can certainly cause habitat destruction and coastal areas cannot become growth areas," he said again. 

Iman added, to encourage residents not to throw garbage into the sea, DKP Papua made a BCL (Love of the Sea Month) program which aims to encourage fishermen in the absence of going to sea, collecting waste, especially plastic waste.

The collected waste is then weighed and replaced in the form of money. This program is an effort to clean the sea by cooperating with fishermen.

"In fact, we also carry out marine cleaning activities to care for the aquatic environment such as raising corals or planting mangroves. Hopefully, the various breakthroughs we have made will help encourage residents around the coast to take care of and love the sea," he said. ***