JAKARTA - During his visit to Gag Island, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia had a chance to meet and talk directly with residents on Gag Island. The community conveyed the positive impact they felt with the mining activities of PT Gag Nickel's company. The dominant residents are fishermen, saying they made a profit by selling their catch to the company PT Gag Nickel.
"The fishing activity is running as usual, the water is still clear, the water quality is also good," said Fathah Abanovo in a statement to the media quoted on Monday, June 9.
According to him, the company also helped them buy fuel and fishing rods to work.
The same thing was also conveyed by Lukman Harun (34th), a resident of Pelugak who is also a fisherman, mentioning that the news that mentions the quality and color of the water around the beach causes the catch to decrease, is not true.
"Water has not changed since decades ago, until now, it's normal, since the existence of a mine, coral fish as a catch have not changed if eaten by themselves, safe," said Lukman.
The hope of people who want nickel mining activities to be continued is heard directly by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia, when inspecting the mine site of PT Gag Nickel on Gag Island with the Governor of Southwest Papua Elisa Kambu and Raja Ampat Regent Orideko Iriano Burdam.
"I took the time to be with the Governor and Regent of Raja Ampat to visit Gag Island, Raja Ampat, by helicopter in response to the development of the news on social media. We appreciate everything, we appreciate the news and we continue to check the form of appreciation, so that it is more objective with the existing conditions," said Bahlil.
The mining conditions that have been described so far are considered by Elisa Kambu not to reflect the actual conditions, therefore it needs to be straightened out by visiting and seeing it firsthand.
"We make sure maybe the video is not from Gag, not from Piaynemo, maybe from another place. They take it from where we also don't know, but what is certain is not from mining on Gag Island," said Elisa.
Elisa added that the community around the mine showed support so that mining activities could be continued because they were proven to provide benefits for them either directly or indirectly.
"When we got there, local people, everything there, small, big, female, old, young, they cried, asked the Minister not to be closed, this must be continued. And if we the government must follow the wishes of the community, and we are here for the welfare of the community, why should we make it difficult for the people," said Elisa.
In line with Elisa Kambu, Orideko Iriano Burdam also said that after visiting directly what was there was different from what was on social media and the community there did not want mining activities to be closed there.
"They don't want to close the mine, because it's to support their lives there. They want that, that's why we hope that the Minister is here to open the mine," said Orideko.
However, he requested that supervision be increased, especially regarding environmental impact analysis so that it can be even better in the future.
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"Let's take care of Raja Ampat together, we give good promotions, don't let Raja Ampat be negative, tourists will decrease. We must protect our tourist areas so that they are not polluted in the future," explained Orideko.
As previously reported, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia temporarily suspended the operation of PT Gag Nickel on Gag Island, Raja Ampat Regency. This was done to follow up on public complaints regarding the impact of mining on tourist areas in Raja Ampat.
PT Gag Nickel, holder of Generation VII Work Contract No. B53/Pres/I/1998, officially stood on January 19, 1998 after being signed by the President of the Republic of Indonesia. Since 2008, PT Antam Tbk. managed to acquire all shares of APN Pty. Ltd., so that the full control of PT Gag Nickel is currently in the hands of PT Antam Tbk.
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