Pushback grows against nickel mining in Indonesian marine paradise of Raja Ampat

JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has suspended nickel mining in the Raja Ampat archipelago, citing multiple environmental violations by companies operating in the ecologically sensitive islands.

The move follows viral social media posts highlighting the expansion of nickel mines and the attendant environmental degradation in the region famous for its picturesque islets and turquoise waters, spurring a public outcry and scrutiny.

Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, Raja Ampat is globally renowned for its marine biodiversity, home to about 75% of the world’s known coral species — earning it the nickname of  the “Amazon of the seas.”

But the archipelago now faces increasing pressure from Indonesia’s rapidly expanding nickel industry. The country is the biggest producer of the metal, a key component in the batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage applications.

The government has billed its nickel policy as a push toward building a clean-energy future. But critics argue that the rapid development of the nickel industry has driven deforestation and pollution on small islands like those in the Malukus, and warn that Raja Ampat will become the next victim of the government’s ambitions.

There are at least five companies with approved nickel mines in Raja Ampat: PT Gag Nikel (PT GN), PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining (PT KSM), PT Anugerah Surya Pratama (PT ASP), PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa (PT MRP) and PT Nurham.

Together, they control at least 25,424 hectares (62,800 acres) of concessions — an area nearly half the size of Jakarta that spans both land and marine zones in one of the world’s most biodiverse archipelagos, according to official data.

Mining has already commenced on three islands — Gag, Kawe and Manuran — polluting the environment and disrupting the lives of the Indigenous peoples there, according to Greenpeace. The group says that up to 8,775 hectares (21,684 acres) of intact forests are at risk of being cleared for nickel mining in Raja Ampat.

“Raja Ampat is in danger because of nickel mining on several islands, including in my village of Manyaifun and on Batang Pele Island,” said Ronisel Mambrasar, an Indigenous Papuan youth and member of an alliance of NGOs campaigning for environmental protection in Raja Ampat. “Nickel mining threatens our lives. It will not only destroy the sea that has sustained us, but it is also disrupting our once harmonious community.”

In the wake of the public uproar, at least three government ministries have launched investigations into the matter.

The Ministry of Environment sent a team to Raja Ampat from May 26-31, where it found that at least three of the companies had violated environmental laws, including a prohibition on mining on small islands, not having the requisite permits, and causing ecological damage such as sedimentation and forest encroachment.

Anugerah Surya Pratama

ASP is a subsidiary of PT Wanxiang Nickel Indonesia group, the local arm of a Chinese company that operates a nickel smelter in Morowali district in Central Sulawesi province. ASP holds a 1,173-hectare (2,898-acre) nickel-mining concession on Manuran Island. The island itself measures just 746 hectares (1,843 acres), which means a large part of the concession also includes the sea around Manuran.

The environment ministry has identified 109 hectares (269 acres) of deforestation for mining on the island, or 15% of the total land area.

“Because the island is so small, rehabilitation will be very difficult,” Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said at a press conference in Jakarta on June 8.

During the ministry’s inspection, officials found that a settling pond, used to remove suspended solids and pollutants from wastewater from mining activity, had collapsed due to high rainfall. As a result, the mining sediment polluted the island’s coastal areas, resulting in visibly murky coastal waters, according to an official document detailing the inspection’s findings.

“The company lacks environmental management systems, and environmental conditions are poor,” Hanif said.

In response to the findings, the ministry has put up signs at the mining site stating that all operations on the island have been suspended, Hanif said. The ministry will follow up by collecting environmental samples and consulting with experts to see if ASP has broken any laws, with legal proceedings taking up to two months to complete, he added.

“Due to signs of pollution, the company may face both civil and criminal enforcement,” Hanif said. “Manuran is part of a highly vulnerable ecoregion.”

The ministry is also reviewing ASP’s environmental permit. If found to have violated the relevant laws, its permit will be revoked, Hanif said.

Kawei Sejahtera Mining

KSM controls a 5,922-hectare (14,634-acre) mining concession on Kawe Island, and has to date cleared 299 hectares (739 acres) of land, including 5 hectares (12 acres) outside its concession boundary, according to the environment ministry.

Its mining activity has resulted in sedimentation damaging mangrove ecosystems and adjacent marine areas, the ministry found. If found guilty of illegal activity and environmental pollution, KSM could face administrative sanctions, including environmental restoration obligations, as well as civil lawsuits for clearing land outside its designated area, Hanif said.

Mulia Raymond Perkasa

MRP has a mining license for 2,193 hectares (5,419 acres) on Batang Pele Island and 21 hectares (52 acres) on neighboring Manyaifun Island.

However, the company doesn’t have an environmental permit or approval to operate in a forest area, given that the islands are zoned as protected forest area, Hanif said.

Yet despite not having these permits, MRP has started prospecting at several sites within its concessions, with the ministry’s inspection uncovering 10 drilling rigs and temporary worker encampments.

“Due to the early stage and absence of significant impact, we have ordered a halt to all activity,” Hanif said, adding it’s unlikely MRP will be allowed to resume mining.

“It seems like it’s going to be difficult for us to issue an environmental permit because open-pit mining in protected forest zone is prohibited,” Hanif said.

MRP is also subject to administrative sanctions and fines for operating without an environmental permit.

Gag Nikel

GN, part-owned by state-owned miner Antam, controls the entire island of Gag. Its concession area, 13,136 hectares (32,459 acres), is double the land area of Gag, which is only 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres).

Unlike the other islands in Raja Ampat with active mining concessions, government officials claim the mining activity on Gag hasn’t caused environmental damage — despite PT GN having cleared 187 hectares (462 acres) of land on the island, according to data from the environment ministry.

Tri Winarno, the mining chief at the ministry of mines, claimed that when he flew around the island by helicopter during a recent visit, he observed no sedimentation in Gag’s coastal areas

“Overall, there’s no issue with the mine,” he said.

Similarly, Elisa Kambu, the governor of Southwest Papua province, which encompasses Raja Ampat, who accompanied officials from Jakarta during the visit, said the mining operation on Gag Island appeared to be well-managed and compliant with environmental obligations.

He based this conclusion on the fact that the water around the island appeared clear.

“Even around the shipping port, the water is blue. So those reports [of environmental degradation] are hoaxes,” Elisa said as quoted by local media Kumparan on June 8, despite Greenpeace raising evidence to the contrary.

Nevertheless, mining activity on Gag Island has also been suspended pending a government inspection and review of GN’s permits.

Ahmad Fahrur Rozi, a commissioner of GN, said that the company operates in compliance with environmental regulations.

“So far, no regulations have been violated,” he said as quoted by Kompas.com.

Concerns over government claims

The government’s claims of minimum impact of nickel mining on Gag Island has raised concerns that mining will eventually be allowed to resume there.

Iqbal Damanik, senior forest campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia, said the mining ministry appears to be downplaying the issue by focusing its investigation on Gag Island, but not the other islands with active concessions. He noted that the minister, Bahlil Lahadalia, had claimed GN is the only mining company in operation in Raja Ampat, despite the environment ministry’s preliminary investigation finding at least three active concessions.

Bahlil and his subordinates, including Tri, only visited Gag during their highly publicized trip to Raja Ampat.

“Our concern is that Minister Bahlil might declare the issue resolved after halting PT Gag [Nikel]’s operations, ignoring the broader problems,” Iqbal said.

Bahlil also downplayed the mine’s environmental impact by emphasizing its distance — 30 to 40 kilometers, or 19 to 25 miles — from popular tourist sites such as Piaynemo.

Iqbal said this implies that mining on the island is fine as long as it doesn’t disrupt tourism activity. Even so, that’s not the case, he added.

“Nearby, there’s Black Rock, one of the most renowned diving spots in Raja Ampat,” Iqbal told Mongabay. “So these mining activities are not far from tourist areas; they are within the tourist zones themselves.”

The area around the Gag Island is also rich in marine life, including manta rays (Mobula birostris), the largest in the world, Iqbal said.

“Conservation International conducted research mapping the migratory paths of manta rays, which pass through the mining concession areas,” he said. “The northernmost point is Wayag, followed by Gag, Kawe and Piaynemo. These manta rays travel from Piaynemo to Wayag, passing through the mining concession zones.”

That leaves these giant filter feeders vulnerable to the heavy barge traffic carrying nickel from the islands, Iqbal said.

He also questioned the government’s claim of no visible sedimentation around Gag, saying that when he visited the island last year, he observed significant sedimentation — an indication that environmental protection processes were being bypassed.

“I spoke with several current and former mining workers who acknowledged the presence of [settling] ponds along the edges [of the mining site], but they are shallow, less than 2 meters [6 feet] deep. So, during heavy rains, they overflow,” he said.

Like the mining ministry, the environment ministry also said it found no serious visible pollution on Gag Island. However, this is based on visual observation, as the environment ministry hasn’t conducted proper tests yet, according to Hanif, the minister.

Therefore, there’s still concern that the coral reefs around Gag, which can extend to a depth of 30 m (100 ft), may have been disturbed by the mining activity, Hanif said.

“Surface water may appear clear, but we need sampling before reaching conclusions,” he said. “While management looks good, sediment can easily settle on coral reefs [and thus] we will investigate further.”

Iqbal said Greenpeace had observed coral reefs dying due to the sedimentation from the nickel mining on Gag Island.

“Our diving team observed and photographed extensive coral reef destruction,” he said. “Coral reefs require sunlight for photosynthesis, so when they’re covered by sediment, they die due to the lack of sunlight.”

And like manta rays, coral reefs could also be damaged by passing barges carrying nickel, Iqbal added.

Regulatory compliance vs. legal contradictions

Even if there’s no significant environmental damage found on Gag Island, the fact remains that it’s a small island within the ecologically sensitive Raja Ampat, Hanif said. This makes any kind of mining activity on Gag potentially illegal, he said.

Small islands are off-limits to mining under a 2014 law on the management of coastal areas and small islands, Hanif said. This prohibition is backed by a 2022 Supreme Court ruling and 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that reinforced this blanket ban on mining on small islands, he said.

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court qualified small-island mining as an abnormally dangerous and ultra-hazardous activity due to the inherent threat it poses to life and ecological integrity.

“GN may operate well technically, but the fact it is on a small island means we must review its legality,” Hanif said.

The damage done from mining on small islands is also much harder to remedy than on the mainland, given the differing type of plant cover, Iqbal said.

“The vegetation on these small islands differs from that on larger land masses. The plants are smaller, and many aren’t classified as forests due to strong winds hindering growth. Therefore, reclamation on small islands is extremely challenging,” he said.

Foreign pressure

Another sign the government will allow nickel mining in Raja Ampat, or at least on Gag, to resume is a recent statement made by Bahlil, Iqbal said.

Responding to the mounting criticisms against the nickel mining expansion in Raja Ampat, Bahlil said the Indonesian government would continue developing the nickel industry as a driver of economic growth. He claimed other countries had attempted to hamper this growth through smear campaigns, such as by labeling Indonesian nickel as “dirty.”

“Not even an inch will I retreat from foreign pressure to pursue our downstreaming [nickel processing] agenda,” Bahlil said as quoted by Bloomberg Technoz on June 3 in Jakarta.

That kind of rhetoric, and the fact that 11 mining permits for the region are still pending, make it almost certain that Raja Ampat will not be spared from the nickel boom, Iqbal said.

The 11 permits were issued by the government in the past, and though dormant at present, could easily be reactivated by the government. That was the case for MRP’s concession on Batang Pele Island, Iqbal said.

“That’s what we’re worried about: once the public outrage dies down, the permits will quietly be reactivated,” he said.

It’s therefore important to monitor the process until the mining permits in Raja Ampat are revoked, Iqbal said. To ensure Raja Ampat is protected from nickel mining, the government should define a “no-go zone,” where mining and other environmentally destructive activities are strictly prohibited, he added.

Bahlil’s claim of foreign intervention echoes President Prabowo Subianto’s repeated rhetoric that any criticism of the government’s policies, especially by NGOs, is part of a “foreign agenda” that seeks to obstruct Indonesia’s economic sovereignty and development path.

Greenpeace and other environmental groups say these criticisms should not be dismissed as “foreign intervention,” since they amplify local voices long ignored by policymakers.

“This is the voice of Papuans — people from the same village as Minister Bahlil himself — so how could it be called foreign?” Iqbal said. “Greenpeace is simply amplifying the voices of Papuans [who] have protested many times, held hearings with the district head and the district council. So this issue didn’t just surface because of Greenpeace’s recent action — it’s a voice the people have long been raising, but no one would listen.”

Correction (10/06/2025): The article has been revised to update the size of nickel mining concessions in Raja Ampat based on official data.

Banner image: Deforestation caused by nickel mining of PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining in Kawei, a small island in the Raja Ampat archipelago, West Papua, Indonesia. Image taken in December 2024 by Auriga Nusantara.

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Hans Nicholas Jong Editor

This story first appeared on Mongabay

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