Minister Susi Pudjiastuti`s Movement to Battle Plastic Waste

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Susi Pudjiastuti together with musician and environmental activist Kaka Ridho Slank campaigned for society to save Indonesia’s ocean from plastic waste.

“Saving the ocean is not just the government’s task, but every member of society,” said Susi in an environmental movement event during the car free day in Jakarta today. The Minister was also joined by fellow activists and public figures from various backgrounds.

Furthermore, Minister Susi said that Indonesia’s ocean is not just hampered by the issue of illegal fishing and destructive fishing, but is also shadowed by the problem of being one of the countries that have contributed heavily in the ocean’s plastic waste.

“Indonesia is ashamed of being labeled like this, the world despises this,” said Minister Susi.

The issue grabbed public’s attention when a British diver Rich Horner recorded himself diving between hordes of plastic wastes and general rubbish in Bali and uploaded it to his social media account and Youtube.

As a tangible movement, Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said that the Ministry is set to hold an act of solidarity on August 18 where people from Sabang to Merauke are asked to be present at the country’s coastlines and together gather any waste there is.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO