VZCZCXRO2038
RR RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1880 2830839
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090839Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0286
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3133
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 3259
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 2513
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 4031
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 0986

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001880 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR U/S FORE, U/S DOBRIANSKY, U/S GLASSMAN, A/S MCMURRAY 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ CONNAUGHTON 
NOAA FOR ADMINISTRATOR LAUTENBACHER 
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/MTS AND OES 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KGHG EAID AORC EFIS PREL ID
SUBJECT: ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE INITIATIVE: THE 
ROLE OF THE OKEANOS EXPLORER 
 
REF: A) STATE 103448 
     B) JAKARTA 1766 
 
¶1.  Summary.  Indonesia will make or break the Coral Triangle 
Initiative (CTI) and Embassy Jakarta is committed to providing the 
political and public diplomacy support requested in ref A.  The 
reason is simple: President Yudhoyono launched the CTI and Indonesia 
represents more than 50 percent of the Coral Triangle region.  It is 
in our interest to help him.  We are focused on the success of the 
May 11-15, 2009 World Oceans Conference (WOC) and the CTI Summit in 
Manado, Indonesia.  These events offer a unique diplomatic 
opportunity to advance the long-term environmental and scientific 
agendas of the CTI, both in Indonesia and the wider Coral Triangle 
region.  A key element to jumpstart scientific collaboration would 
be a research voyage by NOAA's newest exploration and research 
vessel Okeanos Explorer timed to coincide with the WOC and CTI 
Summit.  End Summary. 
 
Research and Capacity Building: Key to CTI Success 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2.  In order to be a success, the Coral Triangle Initiative must 
help local scientists develop their scientific skills and build 
their capacity to conduct innovative research.  We have, working 
collaboratively with NOAA and the Indonesian Ministry of Marine 
Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), identified three priority areas for 
capacity building and research in the MMAF that relate directly to 
the five CTI goals.  Building Indonesian capacity in these areas 
(management of marine protected areas, fisheries management, and 
methods to effectively combat illegal fishing) is crucial to 
achieving CTI's regional goals.  USAID Indonesia is already funding 
an assessment of the MMAF that will include an analysis about how 
the MMAF can best meet its broad range of responsibilities under the 
CTI.  USAID Indonesia is considering additional resources for 
capacity building, including for activities agreed upon by NOAA and 
USAID. 
 
¶3.  The Okeanos Explorer's voyage would be an integral part of this 
capacity building and would mark the kick-off of a long-term 
collaborative research partnership between NOAA and countries in the 
region, beginning with Indonesia.  The ship would also collect 
critical scientific information to support the Coral Triangle 
Initiative.  We also plan to use the Okeanos Explorer's voyage to 
demonstrate that the CTI can attract public-private partnerships; 
private sector contributions will be an important element of the 
CTI's long-term sustainability. 
 
Cultivating Long-Term Political and Public Support 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  Our support for the Coral Triangle Initiative as well as our 
active participation in the World Oceans Conference will be widely 
recognized by marine experts as a commitment to sustainable ocean 
management.  With projected funding of $32 million over five years, 
the U.S. is the largest bilateral donor to CTI.  But numbers aside, 
it is essential for the U.S. to work bilaterally and regionally to 
build and sustain enduring political commitment to--and public 
support for--the CTI that will withstand changes in administrations 
and government priorities. 
 
¶5.  A visit by the Okeanos Explorer would be a visible symbol of our 
support to the Coral Triangle Initiative.  The Okeanos Explorer will 
enable researchers and the public to view undersea features never 
before seen by man, thereby generating excitement in Southeast Asia 
and the United States.  It would shine a spotlight on the U.S. 
government's commitment to environmental issues. 
 
HUME