Tsunami-hit islanders protest sand mining in Sunda Strait

JAKARTA: Sand mining on the Sunda Strait near Anak Krakatau volcanic island has alarmed residents of Sebesi Island in South Lampung, as it has been deemed a danger to the local environment and fishermen, especially after an eruption and tsunami in December last year.

PT Lautan Persada Indonesia (Lip) obtained a licence to mine sand from the Lampung Investment Agency in 2015 near Sebesi Island and Anak Krakatau.

Sebesi islanders first noticed a mining ship on Aug 10, but they were not initially concerned, Sebesi resident Rahmatullah said.

The ship then appeared the next day, which worried residents, Rahmatullah added, and 10 days after that, representatives of the company, including its director, Stefan Gunter Tjang, visited the island to inform people that the company would begin mining sand in the area.

“As far as I know, no equipment should be used yet. Residents rejected the plan,” Rahmatullah said.

Locals also tried to confront the mining ship and took footage of the alleged ship activities on Aug 29.

“We were traumatised by the impact of the tsunami and after that we are being bothered by this,” Rahmatullah said.

He said sand mining could potentially destroy the local marine ecosystem, which Sebesi islanders relied on to earn a living.

“Like coastal erosion, coral reef destruction and a decrease in marine life can reduce a fishermen’s yield,” Rahmatullah said.

He said locals also feared that the mining could trigger landslides near Krakatau that could trigger another tsunami.

He said it was not the first time Sebesi islanders tried to stop planned mining activities in the area. In 2009, PT Asko tried to mine in the area and in 2014, PT Pal tried to mine in the area as well.

Indonesian Forum for the Environment Lampung director Irfan Tri Musri said PT Lip might have violated Law No. 1/2014 on coastal and small island spatial planning.

Lip’s licence was issued in 2015, while the law was issued in January 2018. Between January 2014 and 2018 was a grace period, meaning that Lip’s licence had no zoning plan basis, Irfan added.

“We view that the licence was administratively unlawful when issued,” Irfan said. — The Jakarta Post/ANN