Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) is holding a Sustainable Mission for the second time. This year, with the theme #MissionOfTheOcean (MOTO), YKAN invites people to care about the sea and preserve the diversity of Indonesia's marine life.

Misi Lestari is a collaborative activity to preserve the earth by inviting all components of society to care about nature through daily educational activities. The "Mission of the Ocean" theme is in line with the global movement pushed by the United Nations in January 2021, which declared the 'Decade of Marine Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030' to support efforts to practice sustainable water management.

Being an archipelagic country, two-thirds of Indonesia's territory is water and supports life for more than 60 percent of Indonesia's population. To keep the Government of Indonesia sustainably managing Indonesian waters, YKAN and partners are currently working in Raja Ampat, West Papua; Rote, East Nusa Tenggara; Bali; Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi, and Berau in East Kalimantan.

Healthy marine and coastal ecosystems are the foundation of people's livelihoods and welfare and are one of the leading natural capital in nature-based climate change mitigation efforts. "Coral reefs, seagrass fields, and mangrove forests on the coast act as carbon sinks. When coral reefs, seagrass fields, and mangroves are maintained, other marine biotas can also be preserved," explained Laksmi Larastiti, Fisheries Program Planning Manager YKAN.

Indonesia's rich seas now have to deal with climate change, excessive fishing practices, the development of coastal areas, and the livelihood practices of coastal communities that are not environmentally friendly. The mission to preserve nature, mainly marine and coastal ecosystems, is carried out by every Indonesian person, which can now be done through various mediums, such as Misi Lestari.

The mission for Indonesian Waters

"Mission of the Ocean" is a collective mission to reorganize the connection between humans and the sea to create a healthy ocean. "The Sustainable Mission activity, which carries the concept of 4 pillars, namely Environment, Educate, Engage, and Entertain, is one way for YKAN to invite the wider community to be involved in marine ecosystem conservation efforts. This invitation is carried out through fun activities with sports elements, namely running, "explained Astrid Candrasari, Project Director of Misi Lestari.

Melanie Putria, now known to have a high enthusiasm for running, added, "Running is an outdoor sport that can also be a way to protect the environment. As we can see, when we run, there is often a lot of plastic waste, whether in the car-free day area in the middle of the city or at the beach. I have a habit. I usually pick up trash when I run until my bag is full. For me, environmental issues are our common problem, our future."

Sustainable Mission 2022: #MissionOfTheOCean will be carried out in a hybrid, virtual and offline manner. Runners for the virtual mission are required to complete a distance of 21 kilometers which will take place from November 7, 2022, to November 27, 2022, using the 99 Virtual Race platform.

Meanwhile, the offline mission, which is also the event for the Sustainable Mission celebration, will be held on November 27, 2022, at the Tukad Badung Reservoir Park, Denpasar, Bali. There are three distance options that participants can choose from, namely 2.5 kilometers, 11 kilometers, and 21 kilometers. Besides being known as the half marathon, the number "21" is also a symbol of the commemoration of National Fish Day, which falls every November 21. This commemoration day is momentum to re-understand the enormous potential of national fisheries and the importance of sustainable fisheries practices.

"Avoiding eating small fish (which are immature) can be one way to maintain fish populations while maintaining the marine ecosystem balance," explained Laksmi. In promoting sustainable fisheries practices, YKAN involves partners from every interest group, from fishermen to corporate partners, from upstream to downstream sectors. "The involvement of fishermen is significant in the effort to implement traditional fishing practices, considering that they are at the forefront of the fisheries management chain. In this case, it is not only those who go to sea that is our concern, but also women who play a big role in post-harvest activities, from processing to marketing fishery products," he added.

This activity is supported by Ayobantu.com, which has become a partner of Misi Lestari for the second time, and 99 Virtual Race and RunIndo. In addition, YKAN also partners with Grand Indonesia in campaigning for the importance of protecting nature to preserve sustainable life for the broader community. "This is included in the value of the company, which has its focus on nature conservation. Grand Indonesia is aware of the impact of climate change on the lives of urban communities and the importance of preserving the environment and sustainable living," said Dinia Widodo, Corporate Communications Manager of Grand Indonesia.

Registration for the virtual mission Lestari 2022: #MissionOfTheOcean is done through the 99 Virtual Race application, which can be downloaded on the PlayStore and AppStore from September 29 to November 6, 2022. Meanwhile, registration for the Lestari Mission in Bali can be done directly on the Ayobantu platform and takes place from September 26 to November 6, 2022.

For more information, please visit www.ykan.or.id, Instagram @ykan_id, or Facebook Archipelago Nature Conservation Foundation.