Wakil Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Irwan Meilano memimpin deklarasi Laut Sebasah di Pelabuhan Perikanan Samudera Nizam Zachman, Jakarta, Jumat (30/10/2026). (Foto: Metro TV/Elma)
JAKARTA — The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has declared the Laut Sebasah movement to tackle the crisis of waste in Indonesia’s seas. The declaration was led by Deputy Minister Irwan Meilano at Nizam Zachman Ocean Fishing Port (PPS) in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Friday, 30 October 2026, as part of the ministry’s Service Month and 27th anniversary.
Around 700 participants from various sectors took part in the declaration, which was accompanied by a beach and sea cleanup.
Target: 40 Percent Less Marine Debris
Irwan invited all stakeholders and the public to join a major movement for a waste-free ocean. KKP is targeting a 40 percent reduction in marine debris, gradually but substantially.
“This is the starting point of a continuous commitment to ensure our seas stay blue and free of waste. We cannot do it alone.”
Irwan Meilano, Deputy Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries
According to Irwan, the effort targets not only waste already at sea but also waste in ports and the waters around vessels. More broadly, the movement aims to reduce the waste entering rivers, which ultimately flows into the sea. The Sebasah program focuses on four strategic areas, with handling from upstream to downstream.
Plastic Threatens Fish and People
Irwan explained that plastic, which is hard to break down, is the most common waste found at sea. Plastic waste can damage coral reefs and end up inside fish. Its residues, or microplastics, can then be consumed and enter the human body through the food chain.
Turning Ocean Waste into Energy
KKP is also preparing a system to convert collected marine waste into energy, in line with the national waste-to-energy program launched by President Prabowo Subianto.
“We are building a system to process that waste (marine waste) into energy,” Irwan said.
As concrete support for the circular economy, the deputy minister handed over a pyrolysis machine, which processes plastic waste, to a group of waste activists. Through the movement, Nizam Zachman port is expected to become a model clean fishing port that benefits the local economy.
For fishers and coastal villagers, a clean sea means healthier fish, fishing gear free from debris, and livelihoods better protected for future generations.
Summarized from CNBC Indonesia and Metro TV News (1, 2) (in Indonesian).
