Last month a private company was forced to stop quarrying on Mount Anak Krakatau after the media identified and exposed the illegal mining activities on the volcano, which following a 1990 ruling on natural resources and ecosystem conservation, is a natural conservation area. The Jakarta Post's correspondent Oyos Saroso H.N. looked into the illegal activity and Anak Krakatau's exoticism and mysticism as well as its significance for local communities.
Sand quarrying on Mount Anak Krakatau might still be happening had a fisherman from Sebesi Island not reported the illegal practice to authorities on Oct. 21.
The fisherman reported a number of irregularities taking place on Mt. Anak Krakatau to the Lampung branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi).
The company at the center of the claims is PT Ascho Unggul Pratama (AUP), which sent boats and a barge to the area for what the private company claimed was to conduct disaster mitigation on the mountain, according to the fisherman who requested anonymity.
"On Oct. 18, the company invited us to a thanksgiving to ask for blessings from Syech Dapur to facilitate the project. They said they would install equipment, but it turned out to be large pipes from which sand was later discharged and loaded onto a barge," he added.
Syech Dapur was a 19th century mystic and is believed to be the guardian of Mt. Anak Krakatau.
"PT Ascho sacrificed a goat for the thanksgiving feast attended by many invited Sebesi islanders. The sand quarrying commenced on Oct. 20," the fisherman said.
The Lampung office of Walhi has launched an investigation into the illegal sand mining based on the fisherman's report, which included video and photographic evidence.
Bandung-based Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) head Surono said he had never issued a disaster mitigation permit to conduct mining on Mt. Anak Krakatau to any company.
"Many people want to mine sand from Anak Krakatau, including some who claim to be friends of former energy and mineral resources minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro. However, we rejected them all because Mt. Anak Krakatau is listed as a nature reserve," said Surono.
"If I had issued the permit, I would have violated the environmental law and we would be criticized by the international community because Mt. Anak Krakatau has been designated as a world heritage site by the UNESCO since 1992," he said.
Walhi campaign manager Mukri Friatna said Ascho's claims of disaster mitigation was the only way around the law.
"Disaster mitigation was just a guise to take the sand. If the authorities failed to uncover the case from the beginning, millions of cubic meters of sand from Anak Krakatau would have been stolen and sold to China," said Mukri.
According to him, the price of sand from Mt. Anak Krakatau is attractive to illegal miners because it is of very high quality. Besides containing iron ore, it also contains huge amounts of titanate.
"That's why businessmen from China are willing to buy the sand for Rp 300 *about 3 US cents* per kilogram. Imagine how much Ascho would have reaped if it managed to send just three barges to China. A barge can carry up to 15,000 cubic meters of sand," said Mukri.
Ascho managing director Suharsono admitted his company had previously taken a barge of sand samples, but had never taken as much as 15,000 cubic meters.
He said his company was allowed to take sand from Mt. Anak Krakatau since it had obtained a disaster mitigation permit from South Lampung Regent Wendy Melfa.
Suharsono said disaster mitigation on Anak Krakatau was necessary to prevent the buildup of sand on the volcano, which is located in the middle of the ocean.
"We are trying to reduce the volume of sand to 3.4 million cubic meters so *the volcano's* height would be relatively stable and to reduce the severity of any future eruption. We have installed pipes on the beach to pump sand and at the same time build a lava path," he said.
He said part of the proceeds from sand sales would be used for disaster mitigation, such as to build embankments to minimize the impacts of a tsunami and build an evacuation route in the event of a tsunami triggered by an eruption.
Suharsono's comments appeared to contradict stipulations in the permit submitted by the South Lampung regency administration to the Forestry Ministry. In 2007 and 2008, then South Lampung regent Zulkifli Anwar requested a permit from forestry minister M.S. Kaban to exploit sand from Mt. Anak Krakatau as a source of income for South Lampung.
Kaban turned down the request, arguing that Anak Krakatau had been designated as a nature reserve. However, when Zulkifli was replaced by his deputy Wendy Melfa on Oct. 1 this year, the new regent appointed Ascho to conduct disaster mitigation on the mountain.
Wendy said he had only issued a permit for the company to install disaster mitigation devices and not for sand quarrying.
Lampung BKSDA head Ambar Dwiyono confirmed that was the extent of the permit.
According to Ambar, he had given the permit to Ascho to install disaster mitigation devices because he did not want to be blamed in the event of a disaster.
"I would be blamed for not issuing a permit to the company conducting disaster mitigation if Anak Krakatau were to suddenly erupt and trigger a tsunami," said Ambar.
Environmentalists deemed the excuse of issuing a disaster mitigation permit to Ascho was odd since the forestry minister had on Aug. 19 last year rejected such a permit submitted by the South Lampung administration.
"If they have issued a permit to Ascho, they have broken the law. We believe it is part of a conspiracy to steal the sand because the price of a barge of sand alone can fetch billions of rupiah," said Mukri
Timeline of illegal quarrying
November 2003: In case of an eruption on Mount Anak Krakatau, the director of the Bandung-based Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) A. Djumarma Wirakusumah recommends the formulation of a lava flow mitigation plan.
February 2004: Lampung's Natural Resources and Conservation Center (BKSDA) designs the Krakatau Islands Nature Preserve's strategic management plan for the 25-year period from Feb. 1, 2004 - Jan. 31, 2029, based on a recommendation from the PVMBG.
March 10, 2004: The Forestry Ministry's director general of forest protection and natural conservation (PHKA), Koes Suparjadi, endorses the strategic management plan formulated by the BKSDA.
March 25, 2005: A scientific study is arranged to anticipate a Mt. Anak Krakatau disaster.
July 2005: Lampung BKSDA formulates the first annual working plan (RKT) for the Krakatau Islands Nature Preserve.
January 2006: Lampung BKSDA prepares the second RKT for the Krakatau Islands Nature Preserve.
August 2006: Surono replaces Djumarma as PVMBG director. The Mt. Anak Krakatau disaster mitigation recommendation and study results are reviewed. Surono disapproves of mitigation efforts by extracting sand or reducing the volume of solid material from Mt. Krakatau.
June 4, 2007: South Lampung Regent Zulkifli Anwar requests a Mt. Anak Krakatau mitigation permit from the Forestry Minister.
July 31, 2007: Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban rejects the request.
April 7, 2008: Zulkifli reapplies for a Mt. Anak Krakatau mitigation permit from the forestry minister.
May 15, 2008: Despite disapproval from the forestry minister, Zulkifli issues an authorization letter for the Mt. Anak Krakatau mitigation management team to transport sand and sell solid materials as part of mitigation efforts for a period of 25 years to PT Ascho Unggul Pratama.
Aug. 19, 2008: The forestry minister again refuses the mitigation permit submitted by Zulkifli.
Oct. 1, 2009: South Lampung Regent Wendy Melfa replaces Zulkifli and decides to authorize Ascho to conduct a survey on test equipment, citing Mt. Anak Krakatau mitigation efforts.
Oct. 5 to 15, 2009: Traditional fishermen on Sebesi Island spot two boats and a barge approaching Mt. Anak Krakatau.
Oct. 20 to 24, 2009: Fishermen observe quarrying on Mt. Anak Krakatau.
Oct. 21, 2009: Fishermen report mining activities on Mt. Anak Krakatau to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi).
Oct. 22, 2009: Walhi reports the quarrying to the Forestry Ministry.
Oct. 29, 2009: New Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan says quarrying on Mt. Anak Krakatau is illegal and issues a ban. He asks police to investigate those involved and instructs the South Lampung regent to immediately halt the mining activities.
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