WALHI, Greenpeace Firmly Against Gov't Sea Sand Export Policy

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Maritime and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said that the government will form a study group to analyze permits for sea sand exports. The group will consist of state ministries, non-governmental organizations, and academics. 

“There are requirements to file for a permit and a study group will be established that consists of the ESDM [Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry], KLHK [Forestry and Environment Ministry], Maritime and Fisheries Ministry, and also NGOs,” said Trenggono in a press conference on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. “We will also ask the opinions of Greenpeace and Walhi on the regulation that is being formulated," he added.

WALHI (The Indonesian Forum for the Environment) 

WALHI has responded to the Maritime Ministry’s statement on a study group overseeing the legality of the sea sand extraction, and criticized the government's way of steering away from the actual substance of the issue contained in the presidential decree (PP) that oversees the lifting of the permit.

"The statement from the Ministry claims to invite Walhi and Greenpeace is the government’s way of blurring the actual substantial issue contained in PP No.26/2023," Walhi National Executive Coastal and Marine Campaign Manager, Parid Ridwanuddin wrote in a statement to Tempo on Thursday, June 1, 2023. 

Parid underlined the fact that Walhi had rejected the presidential decree on the management of sea sedimentation since its inception as the environmental watchdog argues that the decree will only pave the way for worse environmental damages especially those across coastlines, sea, and smaller islands spread across Indonesia. 

Walhi branches throughout Indonesia have also called on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to completely stop all sea sand mining projects and beach reclamation projects throughout Indonesia.

Rejecting the President’s Decree Remains to be Greenpeace’s Focal Point 

Greenpeace Indonesia has also echoed Walhi’s rejection of the sea sand export policy and asserted that it is not interested in discussing technical regulation issues. 

“At this stage, we will not open any room for technical regulation discussions as we are focused on rejecting and calling for the revocation of the decree,” said Greenpeace Indonesia Oceans Campaigner Afdillah to Tempo on Thursday, June 1, 2023. 

Greenpeace asserted that the commercialization of sea sand will disrupt the lives of coastal communities and small islands that depend on the sea in the mining area.

Afdillah previously asserted that opening the door for sea sand exports will only bring negative effects to Indonesia’s enormous coastal areas. The watchdog has openly condemned the introduction of the decree and believes it will only worsen the ocean ecosystem sustainability, especially in the vicinity of the sea sand mining areas.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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