Kendari, SE Sulawesi, Nov 4 (Antara) - Hugua, the chairman of Maritime Local Government Association of the six Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) member countries, spoke on food security at the CTI maritime ministerial forum in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Thursday.

Contacted by Antara here on Friday, the Wakatobi former district head said that the success of food security in the six CTI member countries would be determined by the role of the district heads and mayors as the authorities of the autonomous regions.

"The district heads and mayors can present the food security program and local economic development at the grassroots level in the community because they have budgetary authority and policy to implement it at the local community level," Hugua remarked.

According to him, the budget authority, the food security program and sustainable maritime development in six CTI countries will achieve success as expected.

"In addition to the success of the food security program, the officials can also address fishing practices that damage the environment and prevent the smuggling of marine resources abroad," he said.

Hugua noted that it was possible because the officials have the authority to control fishing practices that are not environmentally friendly and smuggling of marine resources in their respective areas.

"If the authorities are able to prevent such practices, then the potential of fishery and marine resources would remain stable throughout the period," Hugua noted.

At the forum, Hugua claimed to have offered the concept of cooperation to build Sister City or the twin cities between districts and cities that are in the border region of CTI member countries.