Dive Tourism Group Sends Open Letter Urging Prabowo to Halt Nickel Mining in Raja Ampat

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Dive Tourism Company Association (IDCA) has issued an open letter to President Prabowo Subianto, voicing concern over ongoing nickel mining activities in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua. The letter was sent on Sunday, June 8, 2025, coinciding with the observance of World Ocean Day.

IDCA Chairman Ebram Harimurti stated that dive tourism operators are both alarmed and deeply concerned that mining activities threaten to damage Raja Ampat, a globally recognized marine tourism and conservation site. He emphasized that while Raja Ampat is a source of national pride, it is also a symbol of global ocean conservation.

"The presence of extractive industries such as nickel mining is highly contradictory in an area of such extraordinary ecological value," said Ebram.

Through the open letter, IDCA submitted four demands to President Prabowo, namely:

1. Immediately order the permanent revocation of all mining permits in the entire Raja Ampat area, not just a temporary suspension followed by a reorganization of strategic zones based on their ecological characteristics and biodiversity value. This long-term reorganization must be prioritized over destructive and short-term mining activities.

2. Expand protection of no-take zones and buffer zones between Kawe and Wayag, and enforce national conservation zoning that prohibits extractive activities.

3. Promote a green economy and community-based ecotourism as a tangible and long-term alternative.

4. Involve Indigenous communities and local fishers in monitoring and managing the area, to ensure that development is truly inclusive and sustainable.

Ebram highlighted that the strength of Indonesia’s tourism sector lies in its preserved natural environment.

According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, more than 60 percent of Indonesia’s tourism appeal is based on natural attractions. Studies by UNDP and Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) have also confirmed that community-based conservation and ecotourism bring economic benefits without harming the environment.

In 2024 alone, Raja Ampat recorded visits from at least 30,000 tourists, with 70 percent of them being foreign nationals. These visits generated an estimated Rp 150 billion in local revenue (PAD) for the Raja Ampat Regency.

Ebram emphasized that the actual economic value of Raja Ampat is far greater than what is reflected in surface-level statistics.

Data from the Regional Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) of the Raja Ampat Marine Area Management shows that the Raja Ampat Conservation Area covers approximately 2,000,109 hectares. It includes seven protection zones managed at both national and regional levels, such as the Dampier Strait, Misool, Ayau-Asia Islands, and Fam.

Although the current mining sites are not located within the officially protected areas, they fall within buffer zones near Kawe and Wayag Islands, as well as along critical marine wildlife migration routes.

Ebram warned that mining activity in these zones could produce sediment runoff, which threatens to spread toward protected areas like Wayag.

The resulting turbidity could block sunlight, damage coral reefs, and disrupt habitats such as the manta ray migration corridor near Eagle Rock.

"For us, as dive tourism operators, these projections and facts are horrifying," Ebram said. He warned that such damage could severely harm Indonesia’s international reputation, particularly as Raja Ampat has been globally acclaimed as a "World-Class Diving Site in the Coral Triangle."

While IDCA acknowledges that national development requires multisectoral strategies, including the expansion of the nickel industry for downstream processing and energy transition, Ebram stressed that not all regions are suitable for mining.

He expressed hope that President Prabowo would recognize that development must not come at the cost of irreplaceable natural and cultural assets.

"For the sake of justice and our national reputation, canceling mining permits in Raja Ampat, restructuring strategic zones, and strengthening conservation governance will send a powerful message to the world: that Indonesia can lead a just, sustainable, and people-centered green development," Ebram concluded in the letter addressed to President Prabowo.

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