The tropical region of the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) is crucial to connect Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as important role in the world’s ocean circulation. ATS has been facing big challenges from lack of awareness on ecosystem level, transboundary threats and less integrated management of the region. During the period of 2001

The United Nation (UN)’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water became the main theme of ATSEA-2 participation on 2019’s Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum. This annual event was hosted through a series of seminars followed by a three-day exhibition for startup business and projects supporting marine and fisheries activities throughout Indonesia. Together

The first Regional Steering Committee (RSC) Meeting of the GEF/UNDP Project on Implementation of Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) Regional and National Strategic Programs: Second Phase of the Arafura-Timor Seas Ecosystem Action Program (ATSEA 2) was held at the Swiss-Belresort Watu Jimbar, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on 19 November 2019. The RSC Meeting was exclusive to

The Fisheries Management Areas of Republic of Indonesia (WPPNRI) is a series of geographical delineation set by the Republic of Indonesia, to identify various marine and fisheries areas within the country. WPPNRI was developed based on each area’s characteristics, diversity of fisheries resources, marine topography, seafloor morphology conditions, and Indonesian maritime boundaries. Through this management

Aru Tenggara Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA) is one of the Indonesia’s National MPAs based on the Decree of Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No KEP/63/MEN/2009. Aru Tenggara MPA hosts a rich ecosystem consisting of mangrove, seagrass, and corals – all in good condition. It is located in Aru Islands District, Maluku Province. This

On 16 December 2019, after Timor-Leste’s National Inception Workshop, Timor-Leste’s National Coordination Unit (NCU) hosted the National Project Board (NPB) Meeting. The main agenda of the meeting was to present, discuss and adopt items on the Terms of Reference (TOR) for Timor-Leste’s NPB as presented by the Regional Steering Committee. Another item on the agenda

Throughout the end of 2019, all active ATSEA-s programme units were able to host their respective project Inception Workshop. These Inception Workshops are important steps for each management unit, partners and stakeholders involved to form discussions and work together for the common goals of ATSEA-2. Regional At a regional level, the Inception Workshop was held

Merauke Regency’s natural wealth in Papua is marked by coastal areas and swamps. Kolepon Island is located in Merauke Regency and is one out of nine outer islands under the authorization of Papua Province located in the Aru Sea and adjacent to Australia. Dominated by mangrove swamp and muddy ground, the 11,620 km2 island is

In 2002 The Arafura and Timor Seas Expert Forum (ATSEF) was formed as a space for experts concerned about the sustainable management of ATS region. It was the driving force behind the development and implementation of the first phase of ATSEA in 2010 to 2014. After a five-year break, the second phase of ATSEA has

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on 22 April to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries. Unlike any previous celebration, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day was held entirely online. Despite challenges associated with the ongoing

In Indonesia, the National Coordination Unit (NCU) has started to operate since July 2019. Throughout the time NCU Indonesia has implemented its activities and collaborated with Indonesia Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF). Meanwhile, the Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU) based in Bali started their operations in January 2020 and had not yet coordinated

World Oceans Day is an international celebration held yearly on 8 June where organisations and individuals celebrate the importance of the Oceans for the planet. It is during this day of celebration that ATSEA-2 created 2 social media campaigns to re-introduce the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region to fans and followers of ATSEA-2’s online

Part of ATSEA-2’s programme is to contribute to the IW:LEARN project, a Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network (IW:LEARN). On this year’s World Oceans Day on 8 June, IW:LEARN sent a special bulletin in the form of a newsletter, where they featured stories from GEF’s International Waters portfolio. Included in

Denpasar, Bali 25 June 2020 – The official website for the Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) Programme featuring vital information about its governance and activities was launched in June 2020. A collaborative effort of all ATSEA-2 team members and representatives, at both regional and national levels, the website is targeting government bodies, NGOs,

To implement a large-scale and complex programme such as the Arafura and Timor Seas Environmental Action (ATSEA) is not an easy feat. After a 5-year long intermission of the programme, a new team is ready to take on the duties that lay ahead in the next 5 years through the duration of this project. The

The last event of courtesy meetings with the echelon one of Indonesia Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) was held on 29 June 2020 with the Research and Human Resource Agency (BRSDM KP). Similar to the three previous meetings, this meeting aimed to introduce ATSEA-2 RPMU and to seek suggestions on how the ATSEA-2

The implementation of the ATSEA-2 programme in Timor-Leste had begun back in December 2019. Where plans of project coordination within the region were just about to be initiated. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, local travels within the country were limited up until six months after that initial phase when NCU Timor-Leste were able to coordinate

Following the Courtesy Meeting with MMAF’s Research and Human Resource Agency in late June, RPMU continues to hold virtual meetings with other government agencies and overlapping programmes in the region. The purpose of these meetings is to introduce the ATSEA-2 programme to various stakeholders and working groups, in order to provide them with not only

On 12 and 13 August 2020, NCU Indonesia attended two meetings with the Fishery Management Authority of the Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia (LPP WPPNRI) to update the operational guidelines for LPP WPPNRI and to discuss the EAFM assessment of red snapper fisheries in Aru Islands and WPPNRI 718. On the first

On 24 August 2020, NCU Timor-Leste held a coordination meeting in Manatuto involving the Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) municipality task team members to create an ICM sub task team for the ongoing project activities in Posto Administrativo Barique. As part of ATSEA-2’s SAP implementation, the ICM approach becomes an important management tool in the remote

On Tuesday morning 18th August 2020, members of ATSEA’s Regional Steering Committee (RSC) attended the Intersessional RSC Meeting via zoom video conference call. The meeting was called upon to discuss the mid-year progress of the programme in each working unit and country. Representatives from each unit had the opportunity to present their progress on the

On 2 September 2020, NCU Indonesia held a virtual coordination meeting with the Technical Regional Organisers (OPD) of Papua Province and Merauke District to update the government units on ATSEA-2’s 2020 Annual Work Plan (AWP). After presenting the ATSEA-2 programme activities and updates, technical discussions were made on collecting data in the field, planning survey

Kolepom island, off the coast of Papua, is an area that is abundant with pristine mangrove cover and river mouths that bring rich nutrient deposits. These conditions make the coast of Kolepom island a thriving nursery ground for fish and shrimp in the area, and a productive fisheries resource that attracts many fishermen there. With

After establishing RPMU’s working unit in the first half of 2020, the regional project of ATSEA-2 has brought on board a team of consultants to support the RPMU in carrying out regional assessments and provide necessary data and information in order to develop and propose sound management interventions for the programme.  The RPMU was able

The ATSEA-2 team undertook a mission to Manado, Indonesia to do a courtesy visit to the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Secretariat. The visit was conducted on 14th of October 2020. Launched in 2009 through Leaders Declaration, CTI-CFF is a multilateral partnership of six countries which are Indonesia,

REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/ATSEA2-REGISTRATION Join ATSEA-2’s Stakeholder Partnership Forum (SPF) on 2-5 November for a Consultative Webinar Series where you will hear directly from ATSEA-2’s regional consultancy team on initial findings and latest update of their research to ensure that projects implemented in the Arafura and Timor Seas region is based on relevant data and information.

On October 6 and 7, the RPMU hosted a series of Technical Workshop Meetings, where regional and national ATSEA-2 consultants presented initial findings to their studies on the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region. Since the end of the first phase of ATSEA in 2014, the ATS region has seen a number of developments, as

During the first week of November 2020, the ATSEA program held a four-day public consultative webinar series where various experts in the field of marine and coastal sciences presented preliminary assessments and research results that would contribute to the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) of the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region. Four thematic discussions were

The GEF/UNDP/PEMSEA ATSEA-2 Project held its second Regional Steering Committee (RSC) meeting on 25 November 2020 to review the project’s progress in the past year and to discuss activities to be implemented for the next year and beyond. Hosted by the Government of Timor-Leste through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), the meeting was

There have been several cases of marine pollution in the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Province in Indonesia in the past which has highlighted the need to mitigate and prevent these events in the future. One of those ways is to create a fast response team and a coordination mechanism in order to equip the NTT

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing is an issue that affects sustainable fisheries around the world, including in the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region. In many cases the constraints on patrolling and reporting of illegal or unregulated fishing vessels has its limitations, due to the nature of the open sea and technological limitations. However, there

The Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action Phase II (ATSEA-2) project is currently supporting the development of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) plan for red snapper fisheries in the Arafura and Timor Seas. Find out more about ATSEA-2 here (https://atsea-program.com). As a stakeholder of these fisheries, we request your assistance. The following survey

Designing an MPA Network To protect and manage a large marine ecosystem such as the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region is no easy feat. One tried and tested method is to focus efforts on High Conservation Value Areas (HCVA). In recent years, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and especially ‘no-take zones’, have become popular tools

The GEF/UNDP/PEMSEA ATSEA-2 Programme calls people from anywhere in the world to submit animated videos sharing the urgency to protect the ocean. Anyone over the age of 18 is eligible to submit an animated video on this #ATSEAchallenge themed “Uniting the Arafura and Timor Seas”. The Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region is unique in

Kina is a little girl with a magnetic attraction to the sea. All her life, the ocean and its creatures have been a source of endless fascination, providing her with sanctuary and solace. But when Kina realises that the marine environment is threatened by pollution, she decides to take matters into her own hands, calling

In Indonesia, The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has set a target to increase their Marine Protected Area (MPA) reaching an area of 30 million Ha by the year 2030. Up until the last quarter of 2019, the MPA zone has spread up to 22.68 million Ha with a total of 195 MPAs

The South Coast municipalities of Viqueque, Manatuto, Manufahi and Covalima have recently become aware of the threats posed by marine debris washed ashore by strong currents and storm surges. Abandoned fish nets, floats and pieces and fragments of polypropylene rope often wash ashore or interfere with fishing activities. The plastic fragments break down into microplastic

The Indonesian village of Karey may not be located in the Aru Tenggara (or Southeast Aru) Marine Protected Area (MPA), but their petuanan (or territories where customary communities collect/manage resources from land and marine areas) spreads across half of the MPA. Because of this, the Southeast Aru MPA, set in the Aru Islands Regency, Maluku Province, is

In 2019, the district of Aru Islands claimed that they had a potential shrimp fisheries resources of up to 21,111.28 tons a year. Yet according to the national statistics of Maluku province in the same year, only 3,029 were harnessed, but still represent the largest number of shrimp fisheries in the province. The majority of

Aru Tenggara Marine Protected Area (MPA) is one of the regions in the Arafura Sea where efforts are made to protect the ecosystem and species. Although uninhabited, this entire 114,000 hectares of space is used as a fishing ground for people outside of the MPA and remains a petuanan or an area where customary communities collect/manage resources

On March 3 2020, MMAF through the General Directorate of Captured Fisheries launched a harvest strategy for fisheries management of blue swimming crab, snapper and grouper. The harvest strategy is a guide for fishers to improve their fishing activities into a more responsible act, such as implementing minimum fish size (10 cm) or fish weight