Regent urged to revoke sand mining permit

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Responding to the warning of an environmentalist that three islands in the Banten Gulf could be submerged in the near future, four factions of Serang Council called on Regent Bunyamin to revoke private company PT Jetstar's permit for offshore sand mining.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United Development Party (PPP), Madaniah and Maslahat factions emphasized the negative impact caused by sand mining.

"Bunyamin must consider the fate of local fishermen who could lose their source of income as a result of the mining," said Sukidjan Abdul Karim of the PDI-P faction on Saturday.

The sea around the islands is so polluted that farmers can no longer use it to fill their fishponds. At least 60,000 fishponds are unproductive as a result.

The factions had repeatedly called on the regent to revoke the permit, but to no avail.

Director of the Banten Earth Conservation Center, Rahadian, projected that three islands in the Banten Gulf -- Tarahan, Pamojan Besar and Pamojan Kecil -- would be submerged in the next four or five years.

A survey from the center revealed sand mining had seriously damaged the coastal environment and raised social and economic problems.

Sand mining also damaged coral reefs and marine life and altered tidal movements, the survey said.