Abstract
Bangka Island in North Sulawesi is home to several endemics and endangered terrestrial and marine wildlife and at the same time a well-known tourist destination is facing a serious threat to irreversible environmental destruction due to mining activities. Although finally ordered closure by Indonesian Supreme Court, the initial mining activities have greatly impacted the highly critical environment of Bangka Island. This study aims to examine the documents (including government-issued permits as well as related laws and regulations) and interviewed key respondents as to their knowledge of the supposed mining activity and their perceived impacts. Results revealed that there were lapses in the Indonesian government's side in issuing permits. The respondents (N = 34) were fully aware of the natural resources (including mineral resources being mined) and identified mining as the major threat to the sustainability of the livelihood (tourism and fishery) that highly depend on the fragile island ecosystem of Bangka Island. We showed using a multivariate non-metric multidimensional scaling based on the respondents' attitude or perception towards the mining activities in Bangka Island. Regardless of their educational status, age, and occupation, it appears that the respondents have negative perceptions towards mining and openly suggest that mining be stopped. We identified major failures on the side of the government and the mining operators, including lack of proper consultation among stakeholders as well as failure to recognize the fragile condition (i.e. as a small island ecosystem) of Bangka Island as indicated in Indonesian laws and regulations related to zoning and utilization.Keywords: Bangka Island, Environment, Mining, North Sulawesi, Permits, Tourism, ZoningJEL Classifications: L72, Q30DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.7689
Highlights
Bangka Island (Pulau Bangka) in Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia is well-known because of its marine and terrestrial biodiversity (Hakim et al, 2012)
Extensive coral reefs host a wide array of tropical fish species, such as Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), frogfish (Antennarius spp.), pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs, as well as Dugong (Dugong dugon): A marine mammal considered under vulnerable status by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2018)
Research Location The study was conducted in Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia (Figure 1)
Summary
Bangka Island (Pulau Bangka) in Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia is well-known because of its marine and terrestrial biodiversity (Hakim et al, 2012). Despite a small area with only 7,778 hectares, it is home to several endemic mammals such as the Javanese deer (Rusa timorensis), tarsier (Carlito syrichta), common cuscus (Phalanger orientalis), Asian water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Extensive coral reefs host a wide array of tropical fish species, such as Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), frogfish (Antennarius spp.), pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs, as well as Dugong (Dugong dugon): A marine mammal considered under vulnerable status by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2018). Bangka Island is located close to Bunaken Marine National Park, a popular marine-based international tourism destination. Bangka does not have protected marine park status. One of the threats to the coral reefs of Bangka Island is the potential negative effects from mining activities (see Ponti et al 2016)
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