Siaran Pers
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) Riau
Pekanbaru, May 20 2023—Provincial Government of Riau ignores to follow up commitment of sea conservation that has been established by Riau Governor Decision Number Kpts.565/II/2019 about Reserve of Conservation Area of Northern Rupat Bengkalis Regency. This Decision issued on 15 of February 2019, when Riau Governor was held by Wan Thamrin Hasyim. This also issued exactly on five days before Syamsuar-Edy A. Natar Nasution were inaugurated as Governor and Vice Governor of Riau. It means, for more than four years under Syamsuar leadership, they have not been able both to follow up and coordinate to set up the Determination of Conservation of Coastal Park Waters in the Northern Rupat Sea.
Even Sembiring, Executive Director of WALHI Riau, mentioned that Provincial Government of Riau practiced half -hearted policy regarding environmental protection commitment. Green Riau which is defined as a commitment in optimizing the management of natural resources to improve the welfare of the community in sustainable development should be questionable.
“For almost four years of Syamsuar Governor leadership did not changed the appearance of Riau nature much. Still in crisis situation, both in land and ocean, Riau is still dominated by corporations. Even he can not follow up the good policy of previous governor maximally. One of them is the determiniton of Conservation Area of Northern Waters of Rupat,” sebut Even.
After the issuance of Riau Governor Decision Number Kpts.565/II/2019 there was no serious step in the Riau Provincial Government to encourage the determination of the area as a Waters Conservation Area. WALHI Riau assumes that Syamsuar’s Government is half-hearted in taking action and policy in an effort to save Rupat Island and its sea from the threat of ecological disasters. The only one firm action taken by Riau Governor was sending letter to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).
Letter that was issued on 12 of January 2022 contained recommendation to revoke the Mining Permit of PT Logomas Utama (LMU). Riau Governor laid his recommendation on three important reasons, those are (1) the existence of the IUP location is in the traditional fishing area, damaging the marine ecosystem, and encouraging the rupat island abrasion rate; (2) the location of the IUP is in the National Tourism Strategic Area (KSPN) and the Strategic Area of the District Tourism Area; and (3) IUP issuance is carried out on expired AMDAL document and environmental permit. This letter does not contain at all regarding the location mined by PT LMU is in an area that has been reserved as a waters conservation area that will be managed as a Coastal Park.
Riau Governor Decision Number Kpts.565/II/2019 stated that there are 15.547 ha allocated as conservation area, with the details of 14.133,50 ha in waters area and 1.413,58 ha in greenbelt (coast). From the beginning of this reserving process, Management Center of Coastal and Ocean Resources (BPSPL) Padang and several stakeholders have identified the existence of the threat of sea sand mining that is carried by PT Logomas Utama.[1]
“After the issuance of President Regulation Number 55/2022 which delegates back mining authority partly to provincial government, Riau Governor should see it as an opportunity. The demand to revoke Mining Permit of LMU that is conveyed by him to Minister of ESDMin 12 of January 2022 should be able to be executed by himself. Moreover, news came, PT LMU is trying to reactivate its sea sand mining activities, “said Even.
Urging KKP Actively Following Up the Determiniton of Conservation Area of Rupat Waters
Appendix I Number 101 Presidential Decree Number 6 of 2017 concerning the Determination of the Outermost Small Islands (PPKT) determined Rupat Island as one of the PPKTs. This determination has the consequence of making Rupat as a particular national strategic area (KSNT). Rupat Island has also been designated as a National Tourism Strategic Area (KSPN) by the Ministry of Tourism through Presidential Regulation (PP) Number 50 of 2011 concerning the National Tourism Development Plan. The Performance Report of the Directorate General of Sea Space Management (DJPRL) in 2021 explicitly mentioned that the Decree of the Governor of Riau Number KPTS.565/II/2019 still exists and its location remains as an area reserved as a Regional Waters Conservation Area (KKD).
The protracted process in determining the water conservation area must be addressed by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) by actively ascending this process. Adjustment to the current regulations, the integration of zoning plans in a spatial plan which means that the northern sea of Rupat is not a location prepared as a mining area.
Eko Yunanda, Manager of Organizing and Climate Justice of WALHI Riau, said that Riau Provincial Government should follow up the Reserve of Conservation Area of Northern Waters of Rupat to be determined by KKP.
“The water area reserved as a conservation area must be proposed to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to be determined. However, from the beginning until the end of the leadership of Governor Syamsuar, we have not received information whether the process has been carried out or not. The decision to revoke the Mining Permit of PT LMU that has been not taken by Governor increasingly made us doubt about Syamsuar’s commitment to preserve the island of Rupat and its surroundings,” Eko said.
Searching of WALHI Riau only found the fact that BPSPL Padang has held pre-survey coordination for the preparation of Management and Zoning Plan (RPZ) of Waters Conservation Area (KKP) of Coastal Park of Northern Rupat in 24 of February 2022.[2] This is the follow up of Governor Decision Number Kpts.565/II/2019.
Both WALHI Riau and Rupat people, especially traditional fishermen, keep urging Provincial Government of Riau and KKP to synergize each other to save the northern sea of Rupat.
“Beside asking the firmness to determine northern waters area of Rupat Island as conservation area immediately, we together with fishermen of Rupat also demand Governor of Riau to revoke Mining Permit of PT Logomas Utama as promised in January 2022 then in his request to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources regarding the revocation of PT LMU Mining Permit,” Eko concluded
Contact Person:
Eko Yunanda (081276552376)
[1] https://kkp.go.id/djprl/bpsplpadang/artikel/6380-konsultasi-publik-pencadangan-kawasan-konservasi-perairan-daerah-rupat-utara, accessed in 17 of May 2023.
[2] https://kkp.go.id/djprl/bpsplpadang/artikel/17774-rpz-kkp-taman-pesisir-rupat-utara-bpspl-koordinasikan-groundchecknya, accessed in 17 of May 2023.
