Nickel mining in Raja Ampat sparks heated debate

Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua (ANTARA) - The hashtag 'Save Raja Ampat' highlights another aspect of Raja Ampat—not to attract tourists to its sparkling seas but to draw miners to its valuable nickel deposits.

It would be naive to think that mining activities do not cause harm despite the company labeling its activities as "environmentally friendly mining."

Destruction is inherent to all forms of mining: removing everything embedded in the ground to extract its contents, including clearing the lush trees that delight visitors.

With this awareness and an unwillingness to see the scenic Raja Ampat turned into a mining area, opposition to mining activities in Raja Ampat has surged and is widely discussed on social media.

PT GAG Nikel has garnered attention since it began managing nickel mining on Gag Island, Raja Ampat District, with a production operation permit granted in 2017.

Four other companies that have permits for nickel mining in Raja Ampat are PT Anugerah Surya Pratama (ASP), with a production operation permit since 2013; PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa (MRP), with a Mining Business License (IUP) issued in 2013; PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining (KSM), with an IUP issued in 2013; and PT Nurham, with an IUP granted in 2025.

Gag Island

Jungle-covered hills and stretches of blue sea warmly greet people arriving at Gag Island.

The scene becomes even more serene with the audible sounds of chirping birds, with no noise of passing vehicles or honking horns to disturb the tranquility.

However, one element disrupts this harmony: nickel transport ships anchored not far from the harbor.

Besides its stunning natural landscape, Gag Island also has natural resources similar to those in Maluku and North Maluku, which is nickel, as the island lies within the tectonic influence of the Sorong Fault.

The similarity is unsurprising, as Gag Island is located near the border of Southwest Papua and North Maluku.

GAG Nikel holds a work contract registered in the Mineral One Data Indonesia (MODI) application, with a permit deed number 430.K/230/DJB/2017, covering a mining area of 13,136 hectares.

Director General of Minerals and Coal at the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry, Tri Winarno, stated that 263.24 hectares of land have been cleared for mining.

Although the cleared land is less than half of the permitted area, the presence of nickel mining on Gag Island has raised concerns from various parties.

Greenpeace Indonesia, an environmental non-governmental organization (NGO), asserted that Gag Island is categorized as a small island that should not be mined, according to Law Number 1 of 2014 concerning the Management of Regions, Coasts, and Small Islands.

This was also reaffirmed by the Constitutional Court through Decision Number 35/PUU-XXI/2023, which prohibits mining in coastal and small island areas.

The Constitutional Court emphasized that mineral mining in these areas can cause irreversible damage, violate the principles of preventing environmental hazards, and harm intergenerational justice.

However, mining activities on Gag Island continued until they were temporarily halted by ESDM Minister Bahlil Lahadalia on June 5, 2025.

A demonstration during the ESDM minister's visit to Sorong, Southwest Papua, on June 6, 2025, further reflected the Raja Ampat community's concerns about nickel mining.

Gag Village

Expectations that the local community would reject mining activities were dashed when Lahadalia was welcomed by the Head of the Village Consultative Body (Bamuskam) of Gag Village, Waju Husein.

Husein stated that the rejection being voiced widely actually came from outside Gag Island, as he had not experienced negative impacts from mining on the island—a point he emphasized repeatedly.

He believes the mining company had positively impacted the village economy. Of the 700-900 residents in Gag Village, around 200 work for the mining company.

Husein, a farmer, acknowledged reaping benefits from the fertilizer and seeds provided by GAG Nikel while highlighting that the company also purchases his crops.

If any issues arose from mining, Husein said the local residents would be the first to protest against PT GAG Nikel, a subsidiary of PT Aneka Pertambangan (Antam).

In line with Husein, several residents met on the shorelines also shared the same views. Fataha Banofo, a fisherman, said he sells his catch to the company.

Other Gag Village residents, such as Hulafa Umpsipyat, a farmer, and Lukman Harun, a fisherman, echoed similar sentiments.

Various statements from Gag Village residents indicate their keenness to maintain nickel mining operations on Gag Island for economic reasons, rather than out of indifference to potential environmental impacts.

Gag Island differs from other Raja Ampat islands that are tourism destinations. In fact, research funded by GAG Nikel found that Gag Island is not included in the Raja Ampat Geopark.

However, exclusion from the Geopark does not give GAG Nikel free rein to exploit Gag Island. Mining practices must always consider environmental impacts and know when to stop.

Residents of Gag Village trust GAG Nikel, as up to now, no environmental pollution has impacted their lives.

It is GAG Nikel's responsibility to care for Gag Island, just as the company values the trust of the residents there.