NTB Provincial Government dispatches team to investigate alleged shrimp farm pollution in North Lombok
The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Government has sent a joint team from the Environment and Forestry Service (DLHK) and the Marine and Fisheries Service to investigate suspected marine pollution caused by shrimp farm activities in North Lombok Regency.
NTB Provincial Government Spokesperson Ahsanul Khalik said the inspection was a follow-up to Governor Iqbal’s directive regarding public complaints about the condition of the waters in the Sambik Elen area.
“Public complaints are information that we must listen to and verify. The results of the inspection will form the basis for the government to determine whether there is a problem, what the cause is, and what steps must be taken,” he said in Mataram on Monday.
Ahsanul said the joint team would immediately conduct field verification together with the village government and regional agencies to ascertain the facts regarding the suspected marine pollution on 18 August 2026.
The NTB government is focusing the inspection on four main areas: confirming the source of the discharge complained about by the public, and verifying its compliance with permits and spatial utilisation provisions.
Ahsanul stressed that the government would not draw conclusions before the verification results were obtained. However, if violations are found, the government will immediately take firm and measured action in accordance with its authority and the provisions of laws and regulations.
“If violations are found, there must of course be action in accordance with the rules. If no violations are found, the inspection results must also be conveyed objectively to the public,” he said.
Ahsanul added that economic and investment activities, including shrimp farming, remain important for regional growth, but their implementation must comply with environmental regulations and take into account the interests of the community.
The NTB Provincial Government is using the verification results from the DLHK and Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP) teams as the basis for determining measures to address the suspected marine pollution in North Lombok.
On 14 August 2026, a video went viral on Instagram showing foamy seawater caused by shrimp farm waste discharge in Sambik Elen Hamlet, Bayan District, North Lombok Regency.
The Indonesian Traditional Fishermen’s Union (KNTI) said farms in Bayan and Kayangan Districts frequently discharge farm waste openly and directly into the sea without proper piping channels.
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (Walhi) NTB noted that of the 193 shrimp farms operating in West Nusa Tenggara, only 10 farms have wastewater treatment installations.