CGSS Asia

Maluku has never been a peripheral region in Indonesia’s maritime history. Long before modern borders were established, its islands were connected to regional and global trade through spices, sea routes, coastal communities, and maritime political networks. The Banda Islands, known globally for nutmeg and mace, became part of an international trading system that shaped not only Maluku’s history, but also the wider development of global commerce.

Today, Maluku’s maritime identity remains highly relevant. Its waters are rich in fisheries resources, its islands are strategically located in eastern Indonesia, and its sea space plays an important role in transportation, food security, coastal livelihoods, and maritime security. However, this potential has not yet been fully transformed into a future-oriented development strategy.

Maluku still faces several structural challenges, including limited inter-island connectivity, fragmented maritime governance, insufficient downstream fisheries industries, weak maritime surveillance, and underdeveloped maritime heritage tourism. These issues show that Maluku’s future cannot be managed through a land-centered approach. The province needs a maritime-centered policy agenda.

CGSS Asia argues that Maluku should be positioned as a blue economy and maritime security hub in eastern Indonesia. To achieve this, government policy should prioritize five measures.

First, the government should develop an integrated maritime early warning system that connects information from coastal communities, village authorities, port officials, immigration, police, navy, coast guard, fisheries agencies, and local governments. This system is needed to detect risks such as illegal fishing, people smuggling, trafficking in persons, narcotics routes, sea accidents, marine pollution, and communal tensions over maritime resources.

Second, inter-island connectivity and maritime infrastructure must be strengthened. Small ports, regular sea transportation, cold storage facilities, fish landing centers, and logistics routes are essential to improve economic access, reduce regional inequality, and strengthen state presence in remote islands.

Third, fisheries development should focus on sustainability and local value-added industries. Maluku should not remain only a supplier of raw marine resources. The government should support fish processing, cold-chain systems, legal fishing practices, product certification, coastal cooperatives, and marine-based small enterprises.

Fourth, Maluku’s maritime heritage should be preserved and promoted as a strategic asset. A Maluku Maritime Heritage Route connecting Banda, Ambon, Kei, Aru, Tanimbar, and other island clusters could strengthen education, tourism, cultural diplomacy, and regional identity.

Fifth, maritime security coordination must be improved. Maluku’s sea space is too wide to be managed by one institution alone. Stronger coordination among the navy, coast guard, police, immigration, customs, fisheries authorities, local governments, and coastal communities is essential to address complex maritime threats.

Maluku’s future should be built from its maritime past. The same sea that once connected Maluku to the global spice trade can now become the foundation for blue economy development, maritime security, and coastal community welfare. Maluku should not only be remembered as the historical Spice Islands. It should be developed as Indonesia’s eastern maritime hub for the future.