CTI-CFF Countries Form Regional Institution

Manado, N Sulawesi (Antara Bali) - Six countries grouped in the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) signed on Thursday an agreement declaring the Indonesian city of Manado the headquarter of the groups permanent regional secretariat.

"CTI-CFF is a multilateral partnership which is made up of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Salomon Islands and Timor Leste. It was formed in 2009 to address the concrete threat of marine biodiversity in the area known as coral reef triangle," Indonesian Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Sharif C Sutardjo said following the fifth meeting of CTI-CFF Ministerial Council here on Thursday.

The regional secretariat was built on 1.5 hectares of land in the North Sulawesi provincial capital of Manado. It functions as a center to control and coordinate the implementation of CTI-CFF regional action plan.

"The action plan covers several activities including setting the extent of sea to focus on managing marine resources, building marine conservation zone, promoting sustainable fishery resource management, strengthening adaptation to climate change in coastal areas and protecting endangered marine species." he said.

The CTI-CFF Ministerial Council led by Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dato Dr Ewon Ebin stated that the six countries had signed an agreement declaring the establishment of CTI-CFF secretariat.

The CTI-CFF member states will implement the action plan by receiving support from the Australian government, the US government, the Asian Development Bank, the Global Environment Facility and NGOs such as the Conservation International, the Nature Conservancy, Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Coral Triangle Center. (WDY)