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ATSEA Program in 2025:

A Year of Transition, Learning and Progress

By IW:LEARN

December 18^th, 2025

For the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region, 2025 marked an important turning point. It was the year when ATSEA began its transition from a project-based to a long-term regional collaboration program guided by the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for 2024 to 2033. This shift brought new expectations and encouraged countries to look closely at how they work together, how decisions are coordinated and what kind of support will be needed in the years ahead. Throughout the year, the focus remained practical and steady. Teams worked to align priorities, strengthen cooperation and respond to issues that communities raised during field visits, workshops and consultations.

Country delegates during the Second Annual ATSEA Regional Coordination Committee meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia.

One of the major areas of work in 2025 was the continued effort to shape the Regional Governance Mechanism (RGM) that will support the ATSEA Program as it grows. Guided by the Sydney Declaration's mandate, which was signed in December 2024, the ATSEA Regional Coordination Committee (RCC) undertook a year-long, evidence-based assessment of options for institutionalising the ATSEA Program. This process reaffirmed the importance of establishing a stable governance framework that ensures long-term effectiveness in managing transboundary ecosystems, strengthens regional coordination, and broadens access to financing and partnerships—through extensive consultations, including the first and second Consultative Meetings, the RCC reached a convergence on pursuing a 'strategic association' between ATSEA and the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), with the emphasis that this will be implemented as an interim hybrid mechanism, wherein CTI-CFF will be tapped as ATSEA's Administrative and Fund Manager as part of the trial mechanism beginning possibly in 2027.

The RCC also noted that we have our respective strengths and that while some parts of the ATS region are not within the scientific boundary of CTI-CFF, this association will be helpful to leverage CTI-CFF’s established institutional framework for administrative and fund management functions, while ensuring continued implementation of ATSEA’s SAP and National Action Programs (NAPs).

As these governance discussions took shape, partnerships around the program also continued to strengthen. After Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) joined ATSEA as the first Strategic Development Partner (SDP), two more organisations confirmed their participation in 2025. Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) and the Coral Triangle Center (CTC) broadened the network of technical support available to the region. Their involvement creates more opportunities for collaboration on training, capacity building and knowledge sharing that will benefit both national and regional workstreams.

Participants join breakout group discussions during the First ALDFG Regional Workshop in Cairns, exploring shared strategies to address ghost nets across the Arafura and Timor Seas.

Alongside these expanding partnerships, technical work across the region continued to progress, with Abandoned, Lost or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) remaining a major focus. At the regional level, countries completed a situation analysis that highlighted persistent drivers of gear loss and the need for coordinated monitoring and prevention measures. These findings were further developed during the regional workshop in Cairns in February 2025. ATS countries agreed on shared priorities such as vessel-based practices, gear modification, hazard mapping and circular economy solutions.

National work complemented this regional effort. Indonesia conducted field assessments in Merauke and Dobo and later hosted a workshop in Makassar from 30 September to 2 October 2025 to deepen understanding of local causes of gear loss and explore practical solutions with government agencies, fishers and researchers. In Papua New Guinea, surveys in 14 coastal villages in South Fly District gathered 67 responses and 28 net samples, with data now under analysis to support upcoming planning. These activities were carried out to better understand the scale of issues and fisheries dynamics to which will be the foundation for developing on-the-ground interventions.

Biodiversity and habitat conservation work also gained new momentum. The proposal for Dugong and Seagrass Conservation received approval from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, enabling activities to begin in 2026. This development potentially benefits work on sea turtle conservation and reflects continued commitment across the region to protect vulnerable species through research, capacity building and community engagement.

ATSEA Interim Regional Secretariat team.

As a regional team, 2025 was a year of transition and shared effort. Indonesia confirmed that the ATSEA office will be based in Denpasar, Bali and support the regional secretariat to remain accessible to partners in the region. Despite operating with a lean team, the secretariat continued to manage workshops, coordinate activities with countries and provide technical support across multiple workstreams. The year demonstrated that strong communication and a collaborative spirit can carry a region through a demanding period. Teams in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea continued to adapt, support one another and maintain momentum as governance arrangements evolved.

Looking ahead to 2026, the program will focus on completing its transition into a fully operational regional framework. Key priorities include strengthening the foundations of the RGM, implementing the newly funded dugong and seagrass conservation activities and advancing pilot solutions for ALDFG in selected communities and ports. The program will also deepen collaboration with its SDPs to design targeted training and provide technical support where countries need it most. As ATSEA enters the new year, it carries forward the lessons of 2025. Collaboration, steady progress and practical coordination will continue to guide how the program supports the Arafura and Timor Seas and the communities who depend on them.

About the ATSEA Program

The Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) Program is a long-term regional initiative that unites the governments of Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste to sustainably manage the shared resources of the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS). Guided by the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) 2024–2033, ATSEA promotes regional collaboration to address transboundary challenges such as marine plastic and ghost gear, oil spill risks, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the decline of endangered species and critical habitats.

Since its beginnings in 2003 and through two project phases (ATSEA-1 and ATSEA-2), the Program has evolved into a regional coordination mechanism endorsed by ATS countries under the 2024 Sydney Declaration. Today, the ATSEA Program strengthens ocean governance, advances ecosystem-based management, and supports inclusive policies that secure biodiversity, fisheries, and livelihoods for millions of coastal people across the ATS region. The Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) serves as the Program’s first Strategic Development Partner (SDP), providing technical guidance, co-financing and capacity development in support of SAP implementation.

For more information on the ATSEA Program, please contact the Interim Executive Director, Dr Handoko Adi Susanto (hasusanto@pemsea.org), visit the project page on iwlearn.net, or the project website.