"In the end, all certificates linked to offshore land parcels will be revoked," Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR) Minister Nusron Wahid remarked in Jakarta on Wednesday.
However, he also recognized that the certificate holders might contest the government's decision in the State Administrative Court (PTUN).
Consequently, the minister stressed that his team would conduct comprehensive preparations and avoid hastily annulling the certificates to ensure the plan's success.
"We could lose the battle in the court if we do not exercise prudence and undertake the necessary processes while handling this matter," he cautioned.
The ATR Ministry has annulled at least 50 certificates related to the bamboo sea fence, which spans the coasts of 16 villages in six sub-districts. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Navy has removed about 20 kilometers of the fence as of Tuesday (February 4).
Earlier, Head of the Indonesian Ombudsman Representative Office for Banten Province, Fadli Afriadi, revealed that the sea fence caused losses amounting to Rp24 billion (around US$1.5 million) for around 3,888 local fishermen from August 2024 to January 2025.
"The adverse impacts include a rise in daily fuel consumption by 4-6 liters, a decline in catches, and damage to fishing boats, factoring into losses valued at no less than Rp24 billion," he remarked in a press conference in Jakarta on Monday (February 3).
He also informed the media that his office had received reports from locals about the presence of the controversial fence on November 28 and December 2 last year.
In response, on December 5, the Ombudsman deployed a team from its central and provincial offices to investigate the structure.
The Ombudsman has also inspected relevant documents, conducted a field inspection, sought insights from academicians, and summoned relevant stakeholders.
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Translator: Ahmad M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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