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Jakarta Post

Sand mining in Banten bay deprives residents

Sea sand mining activities on the coast of Serang regency, Banten, has been going on since 2003, damaging its environment and causing residents who rely on the ocean resources to suffer dwindling incomes and even job losses

Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post)
Serang, Banten
Tue, May 10, 2016

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Sand mining in Banten bay deprives residents

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ea sand mining activities on the coast of Serang regency, Banten, has been going on since 2003, damaging its environment and causing residents who rely on the ocean resources to suffer dwindling incomes and even job losses.

One resident, Madisrat, stares at the muddy water of Pontang cape beach in Serang, with sad eyes.

“My ponds used to be here,” the 58-year-old former fish farmer said recently, while pointing 300 meters away into the water, also indicating how much the coastline had receded.

Madsirat was forced to sell his ponds for Rp 2,000 (15 US Cents) per meter square as he was scared that his land, inherited from his mother, would disappear from erosion.

He said he was tired of the financial losses after being forced to build his ponds again every time after waves washed them away.

“I need at least Rp 10 million to build the ponds. One night they were all washed away,” he said, adding that each harvest he hardly made any money.

Madisrat, the father of four, said he then sold his 8-hectare of ponds and now preferred to do odd jobs. “My wife contributes to the family income by selling fried snacks,” he said.

“It is all because of the sand mining,” he explained, while a large dredger, identified as The Queen of Netherlands hired by PT Jetstar, was seen from a far.

The Queen of Netherlands is one of several ships that regularly mines sand from the Serang Sea, the income source of thousands of people from 10 villages in three districts, including those on the Pontang cape.

Most of the activities supply sand for the development of 17 man-made islets of the controversial reclamation project in Jakarta bay. The sand currently being mined is believed to be for islets: C, D and G.

Islet C and D belong to PT Kapuk Naga Indah (KNI), the subsidiary of property giant Agung Sedayu Group, while Islet G is owned by PT Muara Wisesa Samudra, the subsidiary of Agung Podomoro Land (APL).

Both companies are currently being investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after the anti-graft body arrested Jakarta councillor Muhammad Sanusi and APL president director Ariesman Widjaja in a bribery case recently related to the reclamation.

The sand mining began when a previous Serang Regent issued a permit for the activity’s go-ahead, in 2003, on a 5,000-ha coverage area, 3.21 kilometers away from the coastline, at a depth of 10 meters.

The regulation was then revised in Bylaw No. 2/2013 on zoning Serang coastal areas and small islands, for the sand mining coverage area to increase to 31,500 ha.

Local residents have rejected the mining for years. Three fishermen were reportedly shot by police when they staged a protest by surrounding a mining vessel with their boats out in sea in September 2012.

Junali, a 38-year-old fisherman from Lontar village, Serang, also told a similar tale, saying that he had not sailed for a month.

“The boat owner that I used to work for decided to stop operating as our catch was getting smaller,” he said on the sidelines of a village discussion.

Meanwhile, Kholid Miqdar, a member of the Fishermen and Farmer Awakening Front (FKMN), estimated that 500 ha of fish ponds had washed away.

“Many farmers sold their land cheaply as it is exhausting to keep building new ponds,” he said.

Kholid said that Banten Governor Rano Karno had halted the sand mining but ships continue going back and forth from Serang to Jakarta every day.

“All this damage just to fulfill the needs of property development that only benefit a small group of businessmen is just not worth it,” he said.

APL spokeswoman Justini Omas said she was not sure the sand mining was relevant to any project under APL.

“The reclamation project is now being halted. It is probably wise if all parties do not comment to avoid any further controversy,” she said in a text message.

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