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Article

10 Jul 2017

Author:
Wahyu Chandra & Rahmat Hardiansya, Mongabay

Indonesia: Locals resist sand mining and construction of artificial islands due to potential harm to fish stocks and environment

"Locals mount fierce resistance against sand mining, land reclamation in Makassar", 11 July 2017

Sand mining in the waters off the southern tip of Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island has been put on hold by the provincial government after multiple ferocious rejections from locals who seek to protect their livelihoods and the environment.

The sand is slated for the creation of five artificial islands covering 157.23 hectares (0.6 square miles) off the coast of the South Sulawesi’s provincial capital, Makassar — an area that’s been named Centre Point of Indonesia.

...Fishermen fear the sand mining could damage fish stocks, and complain it’s unfair to allow industrial-scale offshore mining when fishers face harsh penalties if they engage in destructive practices like dynamite fishing.

In recent months, the dispute over the project has reached fever pitch, with opponents threatening to torch dredging ships and take officials hostage.