Riau sand exports taking a toll on environment, activists say<\/p>\n
By Haidir Anwar<\/p>\n
PEKANBARU, Riau (JP): For years environmentalist have been
\nfighting a mostly losing battle against sand quarrying for export
\nto Singapore. But the regional autonomy law which went into
\neffect on Jan. 1 this year delivered the hardest blow of all in
\nthe archipelagic province.<\/p>\n
With autonomy, the Riau provincial administration took over
\nfrom Jakarta the control of licensing for sand quarrying;
\nGovernor Saleh Djasit issued sand quarrying licenses in March for
\n18 companies exporting to Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"This practice is rapidly damaging marine ecosystems,\" said
\nchairman of the Indonesian Center for Forestry Studies Andreas
\nHerry Khahurifan.<\/p>\n
The organization's latest investigation revealed that in some
\nparts the seabed has been dug to a depth of as much as 12 meters.
\nIt also found that a total of 400,000 hectares of seabed and
\nextensive area of coral reefs are now damaged.<\/p>\n
Another threat in store for Riau due to sand quarrying is
\nerosion that may eventually lead to the disappearance of small
\nislands in the Strait of Malacca.<\/p>\n
According to Andreas, the administration would need at least
\nRp 7 billion to reclaim and rehabilitate an area of 1 square km
\nof seabed.<\/p>\n
\"The money earned by the central and local administration by
\nexporting our sand is peanuts compared to the money that would be
\nneeded to save the environment,\" he said. \"Besides, it would take
\nthe marine ecosystem at least 30 years to heal.<\/p>\n
\"We are protesting the Riau administration's decision to issue
\nthose licenses. We have been protesting but the administration
\nkeeps on ignoring us.\"<\/p>\n
He added that there is rampant illegal sand quarrying as many
\npeople want to take part in the lucrative sand export business.<\/p>\n
\"Even the Riau administration has never been able to eradicate
\nillegal sand quarrying because some Navy officers are allegedly
\ninvolved in the business,\" Andreas said.<\/p>\n
Provincial legislator Andi Anhar Chalid raised the same
\nobjection to sand quarrying in the Riau Islands regency. He said
\nthe regency would not gain anything from sand quarrying as it is
\ncarried out some four miles off shore -- which is beyond the
\nregency's jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
\"Only the provincial administration can make money from the
\nlicensing,\" he said. \"Besides, this business is also threatening
\nthe livelihood of thousands of farmers. It has to stop.\"<\/p>\n
Capital<\/p>\n
The sand quarrying is both easy and virtually without risk to
\nthose involved. All they need to do is secure a license from the
\nRiau provincial administration, hire a dredger from neighboring
\nSingapore, quarry the sand and sell it to contractors in
\nSingapore.<\/p>\n
What's strange is that the Riau provincial administration, for
\nreasons which are unclear, cannot do business directly with
\nSingaporean buyers. Only contractors in Singapore have the
\nauthority to set the price of each cubic of sand.<\/p>\n
For instance, each cubic meter of sand delivered directly to
\nSingapore is priced at S$7, while mid-sea transactions come to
\nS$4. The businesspeople get a profit of up to S$3 for each cubic
\nmeter of sand sold, while the Riau provincial administration gets
\nS$1.<\/p>\n
Each dredger digs out from Indonesian waters as much as 6,000
\ncubic meters of sand every day.<\/p>\n
Why are the Singaporean buyers able to name their own prices?<\/p>\n
Economist Victor Butarbutar blamed it on collusion and said
\nsome of the companies granted licenses by the Riau provincial
\nadministration have the capital backing of Singaporean
\ncontractors.<\/p>\n
Illegal quarrying has caused the prices to fluctuate.<\/p>\n
\"The Riau provincial administration and the sand quarrying
\nbusinessmen should sit together and come up with integrated trade
\nactivity,\" Butarbutar said. \"Companies should be barred from
\nhaving direct trade on their own with Singapore ... \"<\/p>\n
Singapore has been estimated to need 1.5 billion cubic meters
\nof sand each year for land reclamation to accommodate its
\npopulation growth, according to Andreas.<\/p>\n
He added that small islands which use the Indonesian sand
\ninclude Jurong Island which needs a total of 213.6 million cubic
\nmeters of sand. Other islands, such as Western Jurong Island,
\nneed 900 million cubic meters of sand, Tuas needs 40 million
\ncubic meters, Northeastern Island 200 million cubic meters and
\nSouthern Island Sentosa Isi 15 million cubic meters.<\/p>\n
There are other small islands that also need sand from Riau,
\nincluding Pungdol that needs 10 million cubic meters and Pasir
\nPanjang which needs 150 million cubic meters.<\/p>\n
\"Imagine, this business can mean the enlargement of Singapore
\nand the reduction of our own Riau,\" Andreas said.<\/p>\n
Legacy<\/p>\n
The provincial administration acknowledges that sand
\nquarrying, both legal and illegal, has been running out of
\ncontrol but argues the mess is a legacy of the period before the
\nregional autonomy policy.<\/p>\n
Head of mines in the Riau administration Amzar Anwar said none
\nof the 18 companies recently granted licenses to quarry have
\nstarted operations, pending the formation of a supervisory team.
\nThe team will involve the Navy, the Riau port authority and a
\nmarine patrol department, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We have only been given control over licensing of sand
\nquarrying, and the first thing we did was preparing for the
\nformation of the supervisory team,\" Amzar said. \"It's public
\nknowledge that (before the regional autonomy policy) there was
\nrampant illegal sand quarrying.\"<\/p>\n
According to Amzar, a number of rules have been established,
\nincluding that sand quarrying companies are not to exploit areas
\nbeyond the designated regions. He insisted the Riau
\nadministration was aware of the importance of environmental
\nprotection when issuing the licenses.<\/p>\n
\"We will choose only areas without coral reefs, and will make
\nsure that the sand quarrying will not disturb fishermen's
\nactivities,\" he promised. \"If the activity goes as planned, the
\nRiau provincial administration will earn 25 percent of the price
\nof every ton of sand exported to Singapore.\"<\/p>\n
Amzar asserted the central government still reserves the right
\nto collect Rp 15,000 as \"exploration fee\", as well as Rp 25,000
\nin an \"exploitation fee\" for every hectare of sand dug out of the
\nRiau seabed.<\/p>\n
\"This practice is against the regional autonomy policy,\" Amzar
\nsaid. \"We are calling on Jakarta to stop meddling in the sea sand
\nbusiness here.\"<\/p>",
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