Muara Badak: One of the subsidiaries of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI), namely PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), continues to develop a CSR program entitled Jaga Pesisir Kita which focuses on efforts to save underwater and coastal ecosystems Tanjung Limau Village, Muara Badak District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency.

Through the Jaga Pesisir Kita program initiated in 2019, PHSS collaborates with the Bina Lestari Supervisory Community Group (Pokmaswas) to carry out various activities in supporting efforts to save coral reefs, such as socialization, diving certification to pokmaswas members, patrol boats, and carrying out coral reef rehabilitation.

Manager of Communication Relations & CID Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI), Dony Indrawan, said that coral reefs that support underwater ecosystems have been damaged due to fishing methods that are not environmentally friendly, such as the use of fish bombs and trawl nets so that damage to coral reefs cannot be avoided.

"Our Coastal Protection Program is expected to restore damaged underwater ecosystems through rehabilitation efforts so that underwater ecosystems can return to normal and become coastal tourism potential that can be developed further to support the economic development of the people in the region," said Dony.

As Chairman of Pokmaswas, Muhammad Mansur explained that his group's collaboration with PHSS had reduced illegal fishing activities by 80% since the Jaga Pesisir Kita program was implemented. "In addition to socialization, patrols carried out by groups are one of the determining factors in the decline in destructive fishing activities. We also welcome fishermen friends to join in saving the underwater ecosystem," he added.

Mansur continued that innovation and renewal in the Jaga Pesisir Kita program made coral reef rehabilitation possible. "In this program, the Coral Reef Barrier is made by combining concrete blocks as artificial reefs and recycled ropes from the Balanipa program, another PHSS CSR program as a hanging transplant medium," said Mansur.

Thanks to this effort, according to Mansur, as many as 85% of transplants were successful in life and the emergence of animals around the reef as habitat (whale sharks, turtles, and other marine life). In addition, two different coral reef transplant methods successfully rehabilitated an area damaged by 1 hectare due to destructive fishing.

Dony added that along with efforts to save underwater ecosystems, the Jaga Pesisi Kita Program also plays a role in preserving coastal ecosystems and developing coastal tourism through collaboration with the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) Pesona Pangempang and the Beach Management Group.

"Various activities have been carried out to support this goal, including mangrove planting and breeding, digital marketing training, tourism management training, lifeguard training, and MSME training processed marine products," said Dony.

Dony considered multi-stakeholder collaboration in the Jaga Pesisir Kita program a critical aspect. "The collaboration in this program went very well and involved various stakeholders, ranging from provincial-level governments to the Rukun Neighbor level, Academics of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Mulawarman University, Student Groups, Youth Groups, Environmental Activist Communities to Journalists. We believe this collaboration is important for the success and sustainability of the program," he concluded.

PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS) is a subsidiary of PHI that manages upstream oil and gas operations and business according to Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) principles in the Sanga Sanga Working Area in East Kalimantan. PHSS and other PHI subsidiaries and affiliates run innovative Corporate Social Responsibility programs in Economy, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response to support sustainable community empowerment and the achievement of Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. More information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.