Protect Hammerhead Sharks, 683 Thousand Hectares of TNS Sea Become a Conservation Area

JAKARTA, GARISBUMI.com – The waters of Teon, Nila, and Serua Islands in Central Maluku Regency, Maluku, have been officially designated as a conservation area. The area of 683,826.89 hectares is home to coral reefs, seagrass meadows, fish spawning grounds, and hammerhead shark habitats.

The determination of Teon, Nila, and Serua Conservation Areas or TNS is contained in the Decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia Number 67 of 2026 stipulated on September 2, 2026.

Director General of Marine Management of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Koswara, said the decision was part of an effort to expand the protection of Indonesia's marine ecosystem.

"The establishment of this conservation area strengthens Indonesia's contribution in achieving the target of protecting 30 percent of marine area by 2045," Koswara said in a press release from the Ministry of Marine Affairs in Jakarta, Sunday, September 13, 2026.

In addition to protecting biodiversity, the TNS Conservation Area has the potential to support the development of sustainable fisheries and marine tourism.

The utilization of the area is directed to provide economic benefits to the community without reducing the ecological function of the sea.