"Paradise Lost? How nickel mining threatens the future of one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots" June 2025

Raja Ampat is famous for its tropical islands, waters teeming with marine life, karst formations and pristine forests. It has become a ‘bucket list’ destination for Indonesian tourists and for divers from around the world...
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Raja Ampat is also home for communities of Indigenous West Papuans who have lived in the region for generations. These communities live in accordance with their traditional ways that are closely connected with the marine and coastal forest ecosystems in this area.

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Now another threat has emerged, as the nickel mining industry is expanding into the region, bringing huge risks to the environment, local livelihoods and to the future of Raja Ampat as a tourism destination. Nickel mining activities risk irreversible damage to coral reefs and terrestrial habitats through deforestation, sedimentation, and pollution.

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Four of the five active licences are located within the boundaries of the Raja Ampat UNESCO Global Geopark, an area that has been promoted for conservation and tourism...

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Manuran Island

The longest-established nickel mine in Raja Ampat is located on Manuran Island, north of Waigeo, within the boundaries of the UNESCO Global Geopark. The concession holder is PT Anugerah Surya Pratama.

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Mining on Manuran has previously triggered local community protests. One local resident reportedly told The Sydney Morning Herald during a 2011 investigation that “the mining waste damaged the coastal areas and covered up the coral reefs.”

Analysis of satellite images of the area from 2024 by Greenpeace has identified a visible plume of runoff-induced turbidity in the seas around Manuran following rainfall.

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Gag Island

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...The current concession holder, PT Gag Nikel, is a subsidiary of PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (PT Antam), a company established by the Indonesian government...

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Greenpeace mapping analysis indicates that since nickel mining began on the island there has been 309 hectares of deforestation to date. A 2022 Kompas article reported on residents’ concerns that nickel mining was also having impacts on water quality and fish numbers in the area. “When it rains, the seawater turns red,” reported one resident interviewed.

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Kawe Island

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...In February and May 2025 Greenpeace staff met with a number of community members who reported that it was becoming more difficult to fish due to restricted access to a dock used by the nickel company and due to increased ocean sedimentation that they said was caused by mine activities.

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Nickel ore from the two active mines in Raja Ampat, PT Gag Nikel and PT KSM (Kawei Sejahtera Mining), is loaded onto barges and transported for processing at the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) on the island of Halmahera in North Maluku. This huge industrial park houses a number of nickel and stainless steel processing facilities. From there nickel enters supply chains for products such as stainless steel and battery components for electric vehicles.

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The questionable legality of mining on small islands

Many of the potential or current nickel mining areas in Raja Ampat are located within the national forest estate (kawasan hutan)...
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In addition to restrictions that apply to officially designated protected areas, there are other regulations that should restrict commercial mining activities within Raja Ampat. Law No. 27 of 2007 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands defines a ‘small island’ as one of less than 2,000 square kilometres in area.

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Based on this provision alone, all current mining operations should be terminated in Raja Ampat on the grounds of causing environmental damage.

Local rejection of mining licences

There is increasing alarm being expressed by local community members, tourism operators and conservationists about the expansion of nickel mining in Raja Ampat, driven by the recent arrival of PT MRP in the Central Raja Ampat region. A local community group has organised protests, and the Raja Ampat Nature Protection Alliance (Aliansi Jaga Alam Raja Ampat) has petitioned local politicians to prevent PT MRP from starting mining operations.

In addition, the Raja Ampat Local Homestay Association alongside the local Professional Diving Association, the local branch of the Indonesian Tourist Guides Association, and the local boat owners association wrote to Indonesia’s Forests Minister, the district head, politicians and other officials early in 2025, asking for the activities of PT MRP to be stopped due to potential environmental impacts.

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Where does nickel from Raja Ampat go?

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...In February 2025 a Greenpeace field research team approached crew members of a barge transporting ore from PT Kawei and were also informed that ore was being transported to a smelter in Weda Bay.

PT Tsinghshan is one of the major shareholders in IWIP and has also established a joint venture company, Youshan Nickel Indonesia, alongside Huayou group. Youshan Nickel makes battery components for electric vehicles in Indonesia. PT Huayou also supplies nickel to battery supply chains linked to a number of major EV makers including Toyota, Honda Nissan, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes, Tesla and BYD.

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Demands

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...it is essential that mining in Indonesia is stopped and prevented within areas that are already supposed to be legally protected, such as small islands or conservation areas on land and at sea. All nickel mining licences across Raja Ampat must therefore be immediately revoked as a matter of urgency by the Indonesian government, and no further licences should be issued. The smelters planned for Sorong must also be cancelled.

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