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s an archipelagic nation, Indonesia is blessed with rich maritime biodiversity and pristine coral reefs, such as those in the Karimunjawa Islands in Jepara regency, Central Java, a region that has grown popular among local and foreign tourists looking for scenic diving spots in Java.

The beautiful islands, known for their white sandy beaches and turquoise water, however, face a serious threat from barges that can damage their stunning coral reefs.

In separate incidents in January and February, 1,660-square-meters of coral reefs were reportedly damaged after being hit by five barges loaded with coal. Those were just the latest incidents in a situation that has been going on for years, prompting calls for greater awareness and stricter law enforcement to maintain the purity of the underwater ecosystem.

“Last year, a ship destroyed coral reefs and even hit the seaport,” local tour guide Baiturrahman told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, adding that in 2015, another ship had damaged coral reefs at Bunga Jabe beach.

Ships carrying barges would take shelter at the Legon Bajak seaport of Kemujan Island when they encountered bad weather, which was typically the case in the months of December to March, he said.

Protected by small islands, the seaport is considered safe to wait out high waves during bad weather.

Jarhanuddin, the chairman of local environmental group Alam Karimun, reported the cases to the Central Java legislative council, which in response summoned relevant officials for a hearing last week.

He said that, according to his group’s data, barges frequently damaged coral reefs since at least 2011.

The head of the Karimunjawa National Park Center’s (BTNKJ) Region I, Iwan Setiawan, told the Post that during bad weather in January and February this year, pulling vessels had taken shelter at Legon Bajak, while their barges had been anchored.

Unfortunately the anchor ropes tore, so that the barges drifted away and hit the coral reefs.

In the five incidents involving barges operated by different companies earlier this year, Iwan said, the National Park authority directly met the helmsmen and wrote reports after learning of the incidents.

The cases have also been reported to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s law enforcement center in Surabaya, East Java.

The Karimunjawa Islands welcome around 2,000 tourists a week. Karimunjawa National Park Center head Agus Prabowo said the park had actually banned barges from entering the National Park, as their presence was harmful to the ecosystem and also a disturbance to holidaymakers.

Agus expressed his hope that the law enforcement center would enforce the law in handling the cases. He said the 1990 law on natural resources and ecosystem conservation stipulated that any activities conducted in prohibited zones could bring the perpetrators to criminal courts. The law allows for a maximum prison sentence of one year and a fine of up to Rp 50 million (US$3,750).

The 2009 law on environmental protection and management also stipulates that any case of environmental damage must be handled fairly and that the perpetrators are liable for environmental rehabilitation.

The issue of coral reef damage surfaced in the wake of coral reef destruction by a cruise ship that ran aground in the famous Raja Ampat area in West Papua earlier this month.