Indonesia blue economy projects

In late July 2026, an ASEAN‑ID Blue delegation visited Banyuwangi, East Java, to observe grassroots blue‑economy initiatives. Delegates toured the Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih (KNMP) fishermen’s cooperative, noting its value‑adding processing of catches, and inspected the Bangsring Underwater coral‑reef rehabilitation and community‑run ecotourism site. The visit highlighted how local practices could inform ASEAN‑wide blue‑economy strategies.

A week later, a researcher from Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) presented a detailed blue circular‑economy model for the same KNMP village. The proposal addressed a mounting waste problem—plastic, abandoned gear, and organic by‑products—by converting these inputs into high‑value outputs such as chitosan, fish feed, and fuel via pyrolysis. The researcher also stressed the need to navigate existing social structures, particularly the role of local middlemen, to ensure successful adoption of processing facilities and sustainable income streams for coastal communities.