"Red seas and no fish: Nickel mining takes its toll on Indonesia’s spice islands", 16 February 2022

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Indonesia is the world’s top nickel producer, with the government pushing for increased mining and refining. That includes in the Obi Islands, where national and provincial authorities, in a show of support for the industry, approved in 2019 a request by mining company PT Trimegah Bangun Persada to dump 6 million tons of waste into the ocean each year.

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The approval of Trimegah’s DSTD plan inflamed existing concerns about environmental damage in the Obi Islands, and prompted fishers and environmental activists to stage several protests outside the North Maluku governor’s office and the local branch of Trimegah’s parent company, the Harita Group.

The company eventually backed down in the face of the protests, cancelling the DSTD plan; however, the North Maluku government has not yet officially revoked its approval. Anie Rahmi, a spokeswoman for Harita’s nickel division, told Mongabay Indonesia in a statement that the group’s mining activities complied with all environmental protection standards imposed by the government.

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“My presumption is simply that the Kawasi Sea isn’t suitable anymore for wildlife … It’s turned into a mud puddle,” said Muhammad Aris, a co-author of the study and marine biologist at Khairun University.

“So if the fishermen say they can’t find fish anymore, that’s because they’re gone,” he added. “When the environment is already damaged, there’s nothing that humans can do.”

Aris also warned against eating fish harvested from the polluted waters.

“The people of Obi Island could die … from eating the contaminated fish,” he said. “Does it have to take a high mortality rate or mass fish die-off to realize this? We must be aware now and not let it happen.”