"No, it does not disrupt the activities, as the exploration is not conducted on a massive scale," he said in Batam, Riau Islands.
Citing a study conducted by a research team from the ministry, he mentioned that it is sedimentation that affects fishing.
However, he noted that the government would halt the exploration if the team issued a study result stating otherwise.
Currently, the government is formulating derivative regulations for Government Regulation (PP) No. 26 of 2023 on the management of sedimentation products in the sea, in the form of a ministerial regulation.
He expressed concern over the absence of technical regulations for the PP, which was passed into law on May 15, 2023.
Technical regulations are needed to prevent parties from conducting reclamation using materials that are not the result of sedimentation, which may harm the environment, he said.
"We have issued permits for reclamation in a number of places. However, reclamation activities can damage the environment if they are carried out using non-sedimentation materials," he pointed out.
Trenggono stressed that such practices could lead to the loss of an island, as in the case of Rupat Island, so the government has halted reclamation around the island.
While awaiting the finalization of the PP's derivative regulations, the ministry is taking firm action by arresting those found dredging sedimented marine sand.
Earlier, the minister stated that the government may export sea sand under two conditions: the sand is extracted from sedimentation and the country has met its domestic sand needs.
In the future, in the context of managing the use of excavated sand from marine sand sedimentation, the government will form a study team comprising experts from ministries, academics, and representatives from pro-environmental non-governmental organizations.
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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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