Jakarta, Jan. 27 -- The Government of Indonesia together with the Government of the United States on Tuesday in Jakarta officially launched the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act (TFCCA) program, a debt-swap mechanism designed to support coral reef conservation in Indonesia.

Director of Marine Conservation and Biodiversity at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Firdaus Agung Kurniawan, explained that under the scheme, funds originally allocated for debt repayment are instead redirected to support conservation activities in Indonesia.

He noted that the initiative is based on the US law Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act (TFCCA), which is designed to help preserve biodiversity in partner countries throu...