Pari Island Residents File Environmental Lawsuit Against Marine Spatial Utilisation Permit
Residents of Pari Island in the Thousand Islands, DKI Jakarta, have filed an environmental lawsuit with the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) against a Marine Spatial Utilisation Conformity Approval (PKKPRL) issued by the government. The company constructing a tourism project at sea under the permit is feared to be damaging the coastal ecosystem of Pari Island.
Khaerul Anwar, legal counsel from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), said the lawsuit aims to annul the PKKPRL. "We filed this lawsuit as an act of resistance by Pari Island residents to annul a state administrative decision in the form of a PKKPRL issued by the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming at the Lempeng Cluster, Pari Island, Thousand Islands," he said in a press release on Friday, 13 June 2025.
A PKKPRL is a permit granted by the government to companies for the utilisation of marine space. The PKKPRL bearing number 12072410513100013, which is the subject of the lawsuit, was previously issued by the Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), now the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM.
The company operating under the PKKPRL is PT Central Pondok Sejahtera (PT CPS), which has been using excavators to dredge sea sand in the shallow waters of Pari Island. The dredging is being carried out to construct tourism facilities in the form of floating villas or accommodation.
Local residents have expressed concern that the activities will damage coastal ecosystems, including seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs in the waters of the Lempeng cluster of Pari Island.
Atik Sukamti, a Pari Island resident and plaintiff, said the PKKPRL would burden local residents, the majority of whom work as fishermen. She stressed the importance of mangroves in buffering wave currents to prevent severe coastal abrasion. She also protested against the floating accommodation project being developed by PT CPS on Pari Island.
"If the floating villas are indeed built in that area, the local economy will be disrupted as accommodation owned by local residents will have to compete with the floating villas," Atik said.
Susan Herawati from the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) said the location planned for the construction of floating cottages and a tourism jetty is an area collectively managed by Pari Island residents. "Construction activities involving floating cottages and a tourism jetty through reclamation are clearly prohibited as they will destroy coral reefs and mangroves," Susan said.
Ahmad Syahroni, legal counsel from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Jakarta, said the issuance of the PKKPRL has directly harmed Pari Island residents. "The fact is that during the construction activities carried out by PT CPS, many residents, particularly fishermen, have lost their fishing grounds," he said.
Khaerul Anwar, legal counsel from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), said the lawsuit aims to annul the PKKPRL. "We filed this lawsuit as an act of resistance by Pari Island residents to annul a state administrative decision in the form of a PKKPRL issued by the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming at the Lempeng Cluster, Pari Island, Thousand Islands," he said in a press release on Friday, 13 June 2025.
A PKKPRL is a permit granted by the government to companies for the utilisation of marine space. The PKKPRL bearing number 12072410513100013, which is the subject of the lawsuit, was previously issued by the Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), now the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM.
The company operating under the PKKPRL is PT Central Pondok Sejahtera (PT CPS), which has been using excavators to dredge sea sand in the shallow waters of Pari Island. The dredging is being carried out to construct tourism facilities in the form of floating villas or accommodation.
Local residents have expressed concern that the activities will damage coastal ecosystems, including seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs in the waters of the Lempeng cluster of Pari Island.
Atik Sukamti, a Pari Island resident and plaintiff, said the PKKPRL would burden local residents, the majority of whom work as fishermen. She stressed the importance of mangroves in buffering wave currents to prevent severe coastal abrasion. She also protested against the floating accommodation project being developed by PT CPS on Pari Island.
"If the floating villas are indeed built in that area, the local economy will be disrupted as accommodation owned by local residents will have to compete with the floating villas," Atik said.
Susan Herawati from the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) said the location planned for the construction of floating cottages and a tourism jetty is an area collectively managed by Pari Island residents. "Construction activities involving floating cottages and a tourism jetty through reclamation are clearly prohibited as they will destroy coral reefs and mangroves," Susan said.
Ahmad Syahroni, legal counsel from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Jakarta, said the issuance of the PKKPRL has directly harmed Pari Island residents. "The fact is that during the construction activities carried out by PT CPS, many residents, particularly fishermen, have lost their fishing grounds," he said.