Preface

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world economy, and Indonesia has not escaped its impacts. The marine and fisheries sector has suffered significantly in Indonesia, the largest archipelagic country in the world, where the marine and fisheries sector plays an important role in contributing to food security, livelihoods, and foreign exchange earnings. In addition to its impact on national and global economic sectors, the COVID-19 pandemic has also affected progress towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 14 (SDG-14), Life Below Water. Specific targets which have been impacted include: (i) fish stock exploitation below 80% MSY; (ii) conservation area extent, (iii) marine spatial planning instruments, (iv) establishing the management of Fisheries Management Areas (FMA); (v) the protection of fishermen; (vi) access to finance for fishermen; and (vii) raising levels of fisheries-related business compliance. Various parties have endeavoured to minimize the impact of this pandemic, in particular efforts to ensure that restrictions on daily activities do not unnecessarily reduce the nation’s economic sector. These include initiatives by academics and researchers at many institutions across the country. In this context, one way in which the Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences of Universitas Hasanuddin (FIKP Unhas) is showing its concern and making a contribution towards these efforts is by holding a International Symposium on Marine and Fisheries (ISMF) in 2021. FIKP Unhas in collaboration with the Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP) which is part of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) held the international symposium with the theme “ Acceleration of Management of Marine and Fishery Resources in Achieving SDGs in the Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic ”. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our international symposium was held on-line using the Zoom platform on 6th June 2021. Despite challenges related to the pandemic, we anticipate that this symposium can be a forum for the exchange of information, knowledge, experience, and for initiating cooperation in research and development activities in the marine and fisheries sector in order to strengthen innovation and improve the sustainable management of aquatic resources. List of title Conference Committee are available in this Pdf.