Maritime Ministry Responds to Criticism Over Sea Sand Export
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31 May 2023 11:43 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry responded to criticisms against the lifting of the sea sand export ban. This rule is contained in Government Regulation (PP) No. 26 of 2023 concerning the management of sea sedimentation inked by President Joko Jokowi Widodo.
The export is strongly denounced due to the threat of damage to marine ecosystems and the survival of coastal communities. Responding to this, the ministry’s special staffer for public communication Wahyu Muryadi pledged that the ministry will scrap the export policy if it is detrimental to the environment and the community.
“If the implementation turns out to be detrimental to coastal communities or damaging the environment, we will stop it,” Wahyu said to Tempo on Monday, May 29, 2023.
He also promised that the ministry is formulating technical regulations for the policy implementation based on studies between related ministries and institutions. He ensured that all sand dredging points and equipment used will be required to be environmentally friendly.
Mining business actors, he added, cannot exploit the sea sand carelessly. The ministry will also assign the Directorate General of Marine Resources and Fisheries Supervision and all security personnel to conduct inspections.
Prior to the issuance of the ministerial regulation on the technical regulation, the ministry promised to disseminate the policy to the public and other stakeholders.
The government officially banned the export of sea sand which was in place for 20 years. The ban was stipulated in the Minister of Industry and Trade Decree No. 117/MPP/Kep/2/2003 concerning the temporary suspension of sea sand exports in a bid to prevent wider environmental damage following the sinking of a number of small islands.
President Jokowi, however, reopened the sea sand export which is then met with protests from a number of elements, especially environmental groups.
RIANI SANUSI PUTRI
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