KKP Claims Sea Sand Mining Will Not Disrupt Ecosystem

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JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Wahyu Muryadi, said that the marine sedimentation sand mining activity certainly did not damage the marine and fishery ecosystem (KP).

"The management of sedimentation collection will be regulated and must ensure that it cannot damage our marine and fisheries ecosystem," Wahyu said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 14.

He explained that the dredging of marine sedimentation will use a different system from the mining regime in the past, namely by prioritizing ecology, including prioritizing the safety and sustainability of marine biota and not harming coastal fishermen.

"Ecology must still be used as commander in chief, so it's not just prioritizing its economic benefits," he said.

According to him, based on the mandate of PP Number 26 of 2023 concerning Management of the Results of sedimentation in the Sea, a study team will be formed consisting of various Oceanographic experts, sedimentation experts and the environment across ministries and related institutions as well as experts from universities, as well as representatives from the local Government (Pemda).

This study team formed will determine the coordinates and points of sedimentation that can be utilized, including volume, using environmentally friendly equipment and technology.

"If the area where the sedimentation will be taken is based on the findings of the study team, it turns out that it is a location for breeding fish and a habitat for running sharks and a manta pari, for example, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono will not give permission to use sedimentation," he added.

As previously reported, a number of marine researchers revealed that marine sand mining activities could threaten the habitat of walking shark species and manta rays that hold protected status because they are threatened with extinction.

Researcher from the Institute of Marine Sciences at Auckland University, New Zealand, Edy Setyawan, said that dredging of sea sand could make it difficult for the manta to find food due to cloudy sea water.