Wednesday, April 2, 2014

SAIL RAJA AMPAT EXPECTED TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT IN PAPUA By Fardah

    Jakarta, April 2, 2014 (Antara) - "Don't die before going to Raja Ampat islands," West Papua Governor Abraham Octavianus Aturury said when promoting Sail Raja Ampat before a number of foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Jakarta recently.
         Raja Ampat is recognized as the most beautiful diving site in the world, and it was extraordinarily rich in marine flora and fauna.  
    It has 1,320 fish species; 75 percent of the world's coral species, 10 times the number of corals in Caribbean; five species of rare turtles; 57 species of mantis shrimps; 13 species of marine mammals; and 27 species of rare fish.

         Dr John Veron, Australia's noted coral expert, acknowledged that Raja Ampat had the best coral reef in Indonesia. During a two-week research project in Raja Ampat, which consisted of 1,700 isles and was located in the western most district of Papua Island, he identified around 450 species of corals.
         Indonesia will organize Sail Raja Ampat as part of its annual international maritime event, to bring the sail's participants and guests to the country's most exotic location in June this year.   
    Since 2009, Indonesia had organized the annual Sail Indonesia event on five previous occasions: Sail Bunaken 2009, Sail Banda 2010, Sail Wakatobi- Belitong 2011, Sail Morotai 2012 and Sail Komodo 2013.
         President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to officially launch Sail Raja Ampat on June 21, 2014, coinciding with Lake Sentani festival, which will begin on June 19.
         Sail Raja Ampat is expected to have participants, approximately three thousand people, from several countries, including Malaysia, Australia, the Netherlands, Thailand, the Philippines and the United States.    
    To support the Sail Raja Ampat event, Minister Mari Elka Pangestu recently inaugurated a 400-passenger-capacity ship serving the Sorong-Raja Ampat route.
         "This is the fourth ferry that will serve the Sorong-Raja Ampat route every day. This luxury ferry boat is equipped with air conditioning and karaoke facilities in the cabin of the ship," the minister remarked in Sorong port, West Papua.
         Recently, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono stated that the objective of organizing Sail Raja Ampat was to accelerate regional development, improve infrastructure and boost investment in West Papua.
         The international sail event had become a model for the development acceleration program on islands and in remote areas, according to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo.
         He confirmed that the government hoped that Sail Raja Ampat 2014 would help to accelerate the development in the region and improve the welfare of the people in West Papua.
         Minister Cicip Sutardjo, as the chairman of the Sail Raja Ampat organizing committee, said all ministers and institutions involved in the implementation of the event had looked at synergies between activities and programs to boost sustainable development and improve the welfare of the people on Papua Island, which consisted of Papua and West Papua provinces.
         The development in West Papua and Papua provinces has become a priority for the central government, he said. Therefore, the government had established the Unit for Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua Provinces (UP4B).
         The maritime affairs and fisheries ministry and the UP4B have jointly supported the maritime and fishery development in the minapolitan areas in the two provinces in accordance with the Master Plan for Acceleration of Development in Minapolitan Areas in Papua and West Papua Provinces, which was part of the Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI).
         The MP3EI projects are geographically divided into six economic corridors, including Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Sulawesi, Bali-Nusa Tenggara and Papua-Maluku.
         Sumatra is being designated as a center for agriculture and energy; Java for industries and services; Kalimantan for mining and energy; Sulawesi and North Maluku for agriculture and fisheries; Bali and East and West Nusa Tenggara for tourism and supporting national food self-sufficiency; and Papua and Maluku for natural and human resources.      
        The ministry and the local administration have agreed to establish four minapolitan clusters in West Papua and three clusters in Papua Province.
         West Papua's four clusters are Regional Raja Ampat Mariculture Estate (RAME), Sorong Raya Fisheries Industrial Estate (SORAYA), Regional Mariculture and Fisheries Industrial Estate (MARONDA) and Regional Mariculture and Fisheries Industrial Estate (MARIFAK).
         The three clusters in Papua province are Cenderawasih Mariculture and Fisheries Industrial Estate, Merapat Fisheries Industrial Estate and Jayapura Mariculture and Fisheries Industrial Estate.
         "The implementation of the minapolitan region master plan will involve other stakeholders," Minister Cicip Sutardjo said.
         Sail Raja Ampat's agenda will include a competition of Papua batik design, yacht rally, a diplomatic tour and a seminar on acceleration of development in West Papua. ***2***
(f001/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE
      

(T.F001/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 02-04-2014 23:25:50

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