Coastal flooding, plastic-filled rivers and beaches, bleaching coral reefs, and tourism pressure on fragile shorelines are no longer future scenarios. They are happening today. In response to this growing crisis, Bali Ocean Days 2026 Conference & Showcase will be held on 30–31 January 2026 at InterContinental Bali Resort, Jimbaran, convening policymakers, industry leaders, scientists, financiers, and innovators to work on real solutions – not just discussions.
Entering its third edition, Bali Ocean Days 2026 carries the theme “Navigating Solutions for a Regenerative Ocean Future.” The forum is organized by Sky Blue Sea Foundation in partnership with Darmawan & Associates, supported by Pertamina as developer of sustainable energy solutions, with InterContinental Bali Resort Jimbaran as the official venue partner.
“Bali Ocean Days is not designed as another talk forum. It is a working table across countries, across sectors, and across interests. We no longer have the luxury of only sharing concerns. What we need now are decisions, courage, and execution,” said Paul Tan, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Sky Blue Sea Foundation.
A Working Table for Policy, Science, and Business
Bali Ocean Days 2026 will bring together more than 40 speakers and organizations from 11 countries: Indonesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, the United States, France, and Germany. Ministers and senior officials from island and coastal nations will join international institutions, scientists, and sustainable finance leaders.
Over two days, participants will engage in focused discussions and working sessions across six key themes: island states and the climate crisis, ocean science and technology, ecotourism and coral reef protection, sustainable fisheries and species protection, coastal communities and living space, and marine plastic pollution.
Confirmed and invited speakers include:
- Alitia Bainivalu, Minister of Fisheries and Forestry of Fiji
- Jelta Wong, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Papua New Guinea
- Nico Barito, Seychelles’ Special Envoy to ASEAN
From Indonesia, the opening is scheduled to be attended by:
- Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries
- Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency
- Ni Luh Puspa Ermawati, Vice Minister of Tourism
The forum also features leading scientists and practitioners such as Prof. Indra Jaya (IPB University), Dr. Rahmadi Prasetyo (MERO Foundation), Daniel Griffin (The Coral Champions), Arnaud Brival (coral restoration practitioner in Raja Ampat), and Vincent Chalias (Ocean Gardener). From the development finance side, Yann Martres, Indonesia Country Director of Agence Française de Développement (AFD), will also participate.
11 Countries, One Shared Mission
According to Pascal Philippe, Secretary General of the Sky Blue Sea Foundation, and Bali Ocean Days Program Director, the scale of the ocean crisis requires a scale of collaboration that goes far beyond local efforts.
“This year, we intentionally bring together speakers and organizations from 11 countries to share data, best practices, and policy experience. The ocean crisis cannot be solved through fragmented local approaches. Without international support and collaboration, we will only work at a scale that is too small. Together, we can work at a scale that is big and impactful,” said Pascal.
From Ideas to Implementation: Eco-Showcase and SEA-MaP
What sets Bali Ocean Days apart from many conferences is its eco-showcase – a platform where real, ready-to-scale solutions meet policymakers, investors, and industry leaders.
Participants will engage directly with initiatives such as Handprint, Parongpong RAW Lab, Shiva Industries, Biosphere Foundation, MDPI, The SeaCleaners, PALLLM, and Gerakan Ciliwung Bersih, covering waste management, ecosystem restoration, and innovative financing models.
This year, Bali Ocean Days also hosts a special side event by SEA-MaP (Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics), an ASEAN project supported by the World Bank and the GIZ, designed to move plastic pollution solutions from pilot projects to policy and financing at regional scale.
The Coral Emergency Declaration
One of the most important outcomes of Bali Ocean Days 2026 will be the launch of the Coral Emergency Declaration – a joint call to halt the accelerating degradation of coral reefs caused by unsustainable marine tourism, shipping, and coastal activities.
The Declaration is developed together with a network of marine conservation and science organizations participating in the conference, including the Reef World Foundation, the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF), the Coral Triangle Center (CTC), the WWF Coral Reef Rescue Initiative (CRRI), and Positive Ripple Consulting.
It highlights that major destinations such as Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Banda, Bunaken, Wakatobi, Alor, Derawan, and Lembeh are now under severe pressure from boat anchoring, dense marine traffic, vessel waste discharge, and weak enforcement in marine protected areas.
The Declaration proposes eight urgent policy actions, including a national ban on anchoring in sensitive reefs, mandatory onboard waste treatment systems, massive expansion of mooring buoys, compulsory environmental briefings for marine tourism operators, stronger monitoring and law enforcement, consistent sanctions, mandatory coral damage insurance, and visitor caps based on ecosystem carrying capacity.
“This Declaration must become a concrete movement for fast and committed change to protect Indonesia’s coasts, coral reefs, and marine destinations. It is not meant to be symbolic – it is meant to align policies, standards, and responsibilities across sectors,” Pascal Philippe added.
A Symbol and a Call to Act
At the closing of the conference, the Sky Blue Sea Foundation Trophy of Honor will be awarded to Sir David Attenborough, to be received by Matt Fraser, Manager, Biodiversity and Ecology of the Minderoo Foundation, which supports the film Ocean with David Attenborough as funder, executive producer, and advocacy partner. The film will be screened as the closing program.
A reminder that the ocean is not the backdrop of development – it is its foundation.
Who Should Attend?
Bali Ocean Days 2026 is designed for:
- Policymakers and regulators
- Industry and tourism leaders
- Investors and financial institutions
- Academics and researchers
- Startups and environmental organizations
If your decisions, investments, or operations touch the ocean, coasts, tourism, energy, or waste – this is where you need to be.
Bali Ocean Days 2026 is not just a conference. It is a working platform to change direction.
🎟️ Registration and tickets are available via Megatix:
👉 https://megatix.com.au/events/bali-ocean-days-3rd-conference-showcase-2026
For press inquiries, interviews, or media accreditation, please contact:
Secretariat Bali Ocean Days
Yoke Darmawan
Chair of the Board of Management of Sky Blue Sea Foundation,
Founder of Bali Ocean Days
yoke@skyblue.org | Ph/WA: +62 812-3868-473
Mr. Pascal Philippe
Secretary General of the SBS Foundation, Bali Ocean Days Program Director
info@balioceandays.id | Ph/WA: +62 8123 924 826
IG @balioceandays
