IPB University Coastal and Marine Resources Management Lecturer Zulhamsyah Imran said that the dredging and export permits for sea sand in Government Regulation (PP) No. 26 of 2023 concerning Management of Sedimentation of Sea Products benefit oligarchs and capitalists.

“There used to be those who opposed cantrang, now they support sea sand being mined. Are we siding with fishermen or capitalist groups? Which only satisfy the economic side,” he said in a public discussion broadcast on the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen Association (KNTI) YouTube channel, Sunday (11/6).

Zulhamsyah then questioned whether President Joko Widodo’s basis for allowing the export of sea sand was because Indonesia lacked fishery resources. However, according to him, dredging to the export of sea sand will actually damage the fishery’s natural habitat ecosystem.

He insinuated that the government often took wrong steps in responding to legal and illegal actions. Instead of suppressing illegal mining, Zulhamsyah said that the government often legalizes many illegal actions without comprehensive studies.

“The stakeholder approach, which is strong backed up with strong capitalists behind it, will win the exploitation of sea sand. The choices are at the executive, central and regional levels,” said Zulhamsyah.

According to him, the formulation of PP No. 26 of 2023 should have gone through a very long process. However, he questioned whether the aspirations of the people were included in the formulation of the regulation.

He also quoted statements from several experts who called this regulation premature. Zulhamsyah then suspected that PP No. 26 of 2023 was born in the midst of pressure from demands for the construction of reclamation islands in neighboring countries.

“So that the largest and closest countries are asked to contribute to reclamation of islands in other countries? What are the interests of the oligarchs? In Indonesia speaking of oligarchs there are capitalist groups controlling Indonesia, in Sumatra, Papua, Kalimantan, Sulawesi too,” Zulhamsyah criticized.

“Where is the social justice mentioned in the fifth precept? What is said ‘I am the most Pancasila’, other people don’t. So pay attention to the precepts per precept of Pancasila,” he concluded.

The emergence of a regulation allowing dredging to export sea sand again opened up Indonesia’s dark past. Various rejections were sent to President Jokowi, both from environmental activists to the 2014-2019 former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Susi Pudjiastuti.

Jokowi’s blessing in the regulation helped break the 20-year ban. Previously, sea sand was prohibited from being exported since the reign of the 5th President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

At that time, Megawati banned the export of sea sand which was regulated by the Minister of Industry and Trade Rini Soemarno through Kepmenperin Number 117 of 2003 concerning Temporary Suspension of Sea Exports.

The export of sea sand was temporarily suspended in order to prevent wider environmental damage, namely the sinking of small islands. The export cessation will be reviewed again after a program to prevent damage to the coast and small islands has been compiled.

Sources: CNN Indonesia