Jakarta - The Australian Embassy in Jakarta is working with the Jakarta Provincial Government to raise public awareness not to throw rubbish in the sea through a ghost net exhibition .
The exhibition entitled “ Ghost Nets, Awakening The Drifting Giants ” displays 18 hand-woven artworks in the form of shoals of fish, sea turtles, and manta rays made from fishing trawl waste which are exhibited at the Maritime Museum, North Jakarta.
"Through artwork that highlights marine debris, especially ghost nets , lost, abandoned or discarded sea nets, we are reminded of their damaging impact on coral reefs and endangering marine biota," said Jakarta Deputy Governor Rano Karno when opening the exhibition at the Maritime Museum, Jakarta, Thursday.
Deputy Governor Rano Karno said that Jakarta, as a coastal city, faces various environmental challenges such as pollution, climate change, and degradation of marine ecosystems.
Although Jakarta has learned how to deal with waste in rivers, reservoirs, and dams, Rano believes that Jakarta needs to learn how to deal with the problem of waste in the sea with Australia as a continent that has experience in the marine sector.
Therefore, he continued, attention and collaboration from all parties are very necessary to ensure environmental sustainability and the preservation of natural resources as a shared heritage.
"I hope this exhibition will not only provide an interesting educational experience, but also inspire us to continue to preserve the environment, preserve marine and coastal ecosystems, and address climate change for a better future for future generations," he said.
Present at the opening of the exhibition, Australian Chargé d'Affaires to Indonesia, Gita Kamath, said the name ghost net was taken from the large amount of fishing equipment, including nets, that are discarded in the world's oceans, which reaches 640 thousand tons per year.