May 28, 2024

ASEAN-Australia workshop on using tech for sustainable aquaculture held in Bali, Indonesia, in late May

The ASEAN-Australia Indo-Pacific Workshop on the Use of Technology for Sustainable Aquaculture was recently held at the Intercontinental Hotel Sanur in Bali, Indonesia, on May 21-22.

"The development of sustainable aquaculture is important as the main driver of meeting food needs and  to encourage national economic growth, in the future," said Indonesia's Secretary General of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Prof. Dr. Rudy Heriyanto Adi Nugroho, via video message at the opening of the event.

Representing Australia as the organising partner, the Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, Tiffany McDonald, emphasised rhe country's concrete commitment to ASEAN and cooperation with the Pacific region, especially in implementing the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), including promoting sustainable aquaculture practices.

Representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the Secretary of the Directorate General of ASEAN Cooperation said: "In promoting a more inclusive Indo-Pacific, ASEAN is expanding its reach to Pacific countries to participate in concrete blue economic cooperation projects of mutual interest, including sustainable aquaculture."

Apart from being an implementation of the "ASEAN-Australia Joint Leaders Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises", the workshop is also an implementation of commitments made by ASEAN and Australian Leaders at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit held in March in Melbourne, Australia, among others to prioritise food security, sustainability and the digital economy.

Speakers and participants also visited the Superior Shrimp and Shellfish Broodstock Production Center (BPIUUK) in Karangasem to learn directly about the use of technology in cultivating shrimp and shellfish broodstock production.

Aside from ASEAN member countries, the workshop was also attended by representatives from Timor-Leste, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and a representative of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Secretariat.

The workshop was held in collaboration between the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and the Australian Mission to ASEAN.

- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Indonesia)