by: Anindita Sekar Jati (Seafood Savers Communication Assistant, WWF Indonesia)

Every year, Sea and Ocean Event Day is celebrated in Indonesia. The purpose of this day is to commemorate the services of maritime heroes who fought to defend the country at sea in Indonesia. This day reminds the younger generation to take the patriotism of the fallen warriors as an example and continue to be dedicated to defending the country.

With the passage of time, the situation and condition of the country has changed. While naval warfare and bloodshed have been a thing of the past for decades, does that mean Indonesia no longer faces a critical situation? Does Indonesia, as a maritime nation, no longer need to defend itself, simply because physical battles equipped with long barrels and various other weapons no longer occur?

Unfortunately, some things often go unnoticed. The most common pattern is the behavior of shopping without paying attention to any changes, especially price changes, to the point where the commodities needed decide to play hide and seek in the market, until the price skyrockets like a rocket. Without food security, human life is threatened without any certainty. Food security is purely dependent on the sustainability of the environment, and clearly, with climate change and other contributing factors, the environment cannot be said to be sustainable yet.

While the government and others involved in this issue know full well that the problems we face are complex, do we as a society realize that we are in the midst of a long battle with unsustainability and habitat destruction that could lead to the loss of food security?

While Seafood Savers has been actively trying to address the challenges and issues within the fishing industry for over 5 years, yes, progress and internal improvements have been made, but the majority of Indonesians do not seem to realize that they are also part of the battle with unsustainability that Indonesia is facing.

Make an example of the patriotism of the fallen warriors

To fight and defend the country does not just mean shedding blood and engaging in warfare like Indonesia's fallen maritime warriors. To defend the country means ensuring that Indonesians can enjoy a cup of coffee in peace in the morning, go to and from work safely, and return home to a dinner made from sustainable food sources. Defending the country means fighting for security and prosperity.

Of course, we cannot enjoy the above without securing our food sources. Securing our food sources is not an easy task, especially when the demand for certain commodities continues to rise sharply. As one of the largest tuna exporters in the world, Indonesia is facing a bad situation with the decreasing variation in catch size. The average catch size of yellowfin tuna has consistently decreased in the last two decades due to exploitation. The status of fish and shrimp in Indonesia has also changed down from fully-exploited to overfished. Exploitation will not occur without a favorable demand pattern.

Changing demand patterns from the market can be one of the key solutions to restoring environmental sustainability. Fortunately, with the rise of various trends related to sustainable products and responsible production methods, it is never too late to start contributing to the process of changing markets and demand.

Each of us can be the hero that Indonesia needs. The sacrifices of the nautical warriors who have fallen to defend the country, for the security and well-being of the people, will be worth it if we carry on the legacy they have left behind; to continue to defend the country and ensure the security of the Indonesian people by ensuring the sustainability of the environment and species.