Legal regulation on protecting marine environment from sea sand mining impact: a case study of spermonde archipelago

Abstract

The dilemma between development interest, economical gain and preserving the marine environment from the implication of sea sand mining activity has been primarily discussed in the last decade. In essence, the sea sand mining which jeopardizes the marine environment occurs due to sand dredging activity which contributes to abrasion, removal of corals and marine habitat that plays an important role to the continuity of the majority of fishermen activity in coastal society through observing from several previous sea sand mining cases, including the current situation in Spermonde archipelago. This article is purposed to analyze legal regulation in protecting marine environment from sea sand mining in relation to the current situation in Spermonde archipelago. It applies normative legal research and uses a study case approach. The result shows that the existence of the loopholes in legal regulation on protecting marine environment from sea sand mining is still prominent. Thus, the coastal society in Spermonde archipelago has been negatively impacted by the sea sand mining activity. Pertaining plausible legal effort on such sea sand mining activity, local community are able to file a strict liability lawsuit to the concession permit owner.