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		<title>Conservation news</title>
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		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/riau-islands/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
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	<title>Riau Islands environmental news</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/riau-islands/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>Sand mining plans spark opposition from fishers in Indonesia’s Riau Islands</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/sand-mining-plans-spark-opposition-from-fishers-in-indonesias-riau-islands/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/sand-mining-plans-spark-opposition-from-fishers-in-indonesias-riau-islands/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Aug 2026 13:37:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten GokkonYogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Yenni Kwok]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/08/14123631/m11-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=326242</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Blue Carbon, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Development, Dredging, Ecosystems, Environment, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Marine, Marine Conservation, Mining, Natural Resources, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[NUMBING ISLAND, Indonesia — The waters off Numbing Island, part of the Riau archipelago between Sumatra and Singapore, are among Indonesia’s richest fishing grounds. Local fisher Edy says the abundant fish stocks have enabled him to support his family and pay for his children&#8217;s university education. He typically earns between 1 million and 2 million [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[NUMBING ISLAND, Indonesia — The waters off Numbing Island, part of the Riau archipelago between Sumatra and Singapore, are among Indonesia’s richest fishing grounds. Local fisher Edy says the abundant fish stocks have enabled him to support his family and pay for his children&#8217;s university education. He typically earns between 1 million and 2 million rupiah ($55-$110) per fishing trip and makes four trips a month. However, Edy says he fears a proposed sand-mining project will threaten his and other fishers’ livelihoods. He said dredging would make the water more turbid, driving fish away from their traditional habitats and forcing fishers to sail farther out to sea to find them. “That is why I am afraid of this mining project. It will damage the sea. We have experienced this before, when marine sand mining took place near Batam,” he said, referring to one of the largest of the Riau islands, located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Numbing. “Our waters also became cloudy.” Numbing Island in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra/Mongabay Indonesia. A wave of opposition to the planned sea-sand mining in the waters around Riau Islands province has emerged among not only fishers from Numbing and surrounding areas, but also Indonesian lawmakers. Local authorities paint the project off Numbing, which is part of the Riau Islands’ Bintan district, as necessary to dredge marine sediment to facilitate large ship traffic. This would make it exempt from Indonesian law that prohibits sand mining in coastal areas and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/sand-mining-plans-spark-opposition-from-fishers-in-indonesias-riau-islands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-326242</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Listings of Indonesian islands renew fears of privatization for coastal communities</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/indonesia-small-islands-sale-privatization-fishers-coastal-communities-kkp/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/indonesia-small-islands-sale-privatization-fishers-coastal-communities-kkp/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jul 2025 12:40:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/01/31195115/raja-ampat_2401840-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=301978</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Biodiversity, Coastal Ecosystems, Conflict, Development, Ecosystems, Ecotourism, Environment, Environmental Law, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Infrastructure, Land Rights, Marine, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Oceans, Politics, Protected Areas, Regulations, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A Canada-based website’s listing of Indonesian islands for sale has reignited fears of privatization, long linked to conflicts between companies and coastal communities. On June 18, 2025, listings appeared for several islands in Indonesia’s Anambas archipelago, in Riau Islands province, on the site Privateislandsonline.com. Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has denied the validity [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A Canada-based website’s listing of Indonesian islands for sale has reignited fears of privatization, long linked to conflicts between companies and coastal communities. On June 18, 2025, listings appeared for several islands in Indonesia’s Anambas archipelago, in Riau Islands province, on the site Privateislandsonline.com. Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has denied the validity of the listings, pointing out that national laws prohibit the sale of islands to foreign entities. The ministry confirmed that four of the listed islands are in Anambas — Rintan, Mala, Tokong Sendok and Nakob — while others appearing on the site are located in East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and Bangka-Belitung provinces. The government has since blocked the site for internet users in Indonesia, although it remains accessible elsewhere around the world (including in Indonesia, through VPN). The ministry says the listings were most likely offers for foreign investment, not outright sales. It said commercial use of islands is legal if businesses have the right permits, though strict limits would still apply. For instance, developers may only use up to 70% of a small island’s area, with at least 30% of that portion reserved for green space, effectively limiting control to 40%. Nusron Wahid, the Indonesian minister for land and zoning, said foreign parties could only obtain land use rights, not ownership, under Indonesian law. He added the Anambas islands in question lie within areas zoned for development, not forest land. Seliu Island in Bangka-Belitung is similarly classified, while Panjang Island in West&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/indonesia-small-islands-sale-privatization-fishers-coastal-communities-kkp/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/indonesia-small-islands-sale-privatization-fishers-coastal-communities-kkp/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-301978</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Order restored in Indonesia as fishers recapture scores of farmed crocodiles</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/order-restored-in-indonesia-as-fishers-recapture-scores-of-farmed-crocodiles/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/order-restored-in-indonesia-as-fishers-recapture-scores-of-farmed-crocodiles/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2025 01:08:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Yogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/02/14113545/A-fisherman-shows-a-crocodile-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=294430</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Conservation, Environment, Farming, Islands, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Reptiles, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BATAM, Indonesia — Stress levels among the population of Batam reportedly spiked in January after extreme rainfall over a saltwater crocodile farm allowed more than 100 captive predators to explore the local area for the first time. “There were a few things that we have passed along, such as that the company should take responsibility,” [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BATAM, Indonesia — Stress levels among the population of Batam reportedly spiked in January after extreme rainfall over a saltwater crocodile farm allowed more than 100 captive predators to explore the local area for the first time. “There were a few things that we have passed along, such as that the company should take responsibility,” said Tommy Sinambela, an official with the state conservation agency. Meteorological data showed a powerful localized storm formed over Singkep Island Jan. 12, which then moved northward over Batam on Jan. 13, with three-hour precipitation, a common measure of rainfall, peaking at more than 100 millimeters (3.9 inches]. Local officials said the rainfall damaged the perimeter of a crocodile farm located on Bulan Island, across a narrow strait from densely populated Batam. Batam, an hourlong ferry from Singapore, is both an important manufacturing hub and tourism destination accounting for around 2 million visits to Indonesia per year. Elected representatives in Batam have since called for the farm operated by PT Perkasa Jagat Karunia to be closed and provide compensation after panicked local fishers worked to recapture escapees for free. The speaker of the regional assembly, Iman Setiawan, told The Jakarta Post newspaper in early February that the company had paid no tax to the regional government in 36 years of operation. “To date, there haven’t been any criminal penalties imposed on the company because there haven’t been any fatalities,” said Bulang subdistrict&#8217;s chief of police, Iptu Adyanto Syofyan. Bulan Island, Batam, the location of PT&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/order-restored-in-indonesia-as-fishers-recapture-scores-of-farmed-crocodiles/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-294430</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Sumatran dugong hunter struggles to adapt to changing times</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/sumatran-dugong-hunter-struggles-to-adapt-to-changing-times/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/sumatran-dugong-hunter-struggles-to-adapt-to-changing-times/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jan 2024 00:53:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Dody HidayatYogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/01/02180656/dugong-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=277278</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Dugong, Ecosystems, Endangered Species, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Marine, Marine Conservation, Marine Mammals, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BINTAN ISLAND, Indonesia — Ever since Munsa was a young man, he would quietly paddle a small boat past the mangroves on Air Glubi Island into the Kawal Sea armed with a harpoon. “Anyone can spearfish, but approaching dugongs is what’s challenging,” Munsa said at his home in the Bintan Archipelago, a clutch of islands [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BINTAN ISLAND, Indonesia — Ever since Munsa was a young man, he would quietly paddle a small boat past the mangroves on Air Glubi Island into the Kawal Sea armed with a harpoon. “Anyone can spearfish, but approaching dugongs is what’s challenging,” Munsa said at his home in the Bintan Archipelago, a clutch of islands around 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Singapore. The dugong (Dugong dugon) is one of four surviving species in the Sirenia taxonomy (the other three are African, Amazonian and West Indian manatees). However, global populations of dugongs have declined, owing to demand for the animal’s meat, oil and ivory. In an average week, Munsa would sneak up on a dozen of the herbivorous mammals, which feed on grasses growing on the seafloor throughout East Africa and the Indo-Pacific region. Munsa used to receive up to 15 million rupiah ($1,000) from traders at a time just for the animal’s “tears,” which hunters gather from the animal’s eyes and are considered by some to be an aphrodisiac. By his own admission, he was a prolific hunter of the vulnerable animal. “I’d lose count — in the past, there could be tens of dugongs in a month,” Munsa said. “I have been hunting dugongs since I was young.” Today, in his mid-70s, Munsa is known to people in his village as the last of the community’s dugong hunters. At his home on Air Glubi Island, Munsa displays a spear for hunting dugongs. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/sumatran-dugong-hunter-struggles-to-adapt-to-changing-times/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/sumatran-dugong-hunter-struggles-to-adapt-to-changing-times/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-277278</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Investors over islanders as Indonesia uses force to push development project</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/investors-over-islanders-as-indonesia-uses-force-to-push-development-project/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/investors-over-islanders-as-indonesia-uses-force-to-push-development-project/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2023 16:38:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas Jong]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hayat Indriyatno]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/09/21161207/IMG-20230907-WA0029-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=273528</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Business, Conflict, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Environment, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Infrastructure, Land Conflict, Land Grabbing, Land Rights, Politics, and Social Conflict]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Critics have questioned the Indonesian government’s priorities as it prepares to evict longtime residents of a small island to make way for a $25 billion development that includes a solar panel factory and a tourism resort. The island of Rempang, part of the Riau Islands archipelago in the Malacca Strait, has been awarded [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Critics have questioned the Indonesian government’s priorities as it prepares to evict longtime residents of a small island to make way for a $25 billion development that includes a solar panel factory and a tourism resort. The island of Rempang, part of the Riau Islands archipelago in the Malacca Strait, has been awarded in an 80-year concession to Chinese industrial giant Xinyi Glass. The company plans to build the world’s second-largest glass and solar panel factory there, taking advantage of the abundant quartz sand around the island. The nearly $12 billion factory is itself part of the wider Rempang Eco-City development that also includes an ecotourism resort and upscale housing estate. Residents of Rempang, many with a family presence going back eight generations or more, were only informed in early September that they were being evicted by the end of the month. They’ve staged several protests since then, drawing a heavy-handed response from the security forces, who fired on protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas, including at a middle school. Police have arrested at least 50 protesters, prompting concerns of human rights violations from the National Commission on Human Rights. While the administration of President Joko Widodo has urged calm, it insists the eviction will go ahead and that nothing will stand in the way of the investors — a position that goes against the president’s earlier promises to the Rempang residents. “We deplore the fact that the government only thinks about investment again and again, which&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/investors-over-islanders-as-indonesia-uses-force-to-push-development-project/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-273528</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia, Singapore to work more closely against lobster larvae smugglers</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/08/indonesia-singapore-lobster-larvae-smuggling-illegal-fisheries-trade-sustainability/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/08/indonesia-singapore-lobster-larvae-smuggling-illegal-fisheries-trade-sustainability/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Aug 2023 16:28:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Yogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/08/23075543/Bentuk-benih-lobster-yang-disimpan-dalam-kain-basah.-Benih-lobster-terlihat-masih-hidup-ketika-dilepaskan.-Foto-Yogi-Eka-Sahputra-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=272501</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Singapore, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Corruption, Crime, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Law, Law Enforcement, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, Politics, Sustainability, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BATAM, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities have called on their counterparts in neighboring Singapore to crack down on the illegal lobster larvae trade, given that the city-state is a key hub for the regional trade of the crustaceans. Indonesia has since June 2021 banned exports of lobster seed in an effort to conserve declining wild stocks [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BATAM, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities have called on their counterparts in neighboring Singapore to crack down on the illegal lobster larvae trade, given that the city-state is a key hub for the regional trade of the crustaceans. Indonesia has since June 2021 banned exports of lobster seed in an effort to conserve declining wild stocks and tackle the illegal lobster market. But smuggling of the in-demand shellfish remains rampant, particularly via the country’s Riau Islands, less than an hour’s boat ride to Singapore. For its part, Singapore still permits the import of lobster larvae, not only to meet domestic demands but also to forward them to Vietnam and China, where the larvae are raised to maturity in fish farms and tanks and sold at much higher prices. Smugglers’ most frequent tactic is to “escape from our authority by entering Singapore’s territorial waters,” Adin Nurawaluddin, director-general of marine and fisheries resources surveillance at the Indonesian fisheries ministry, said in a statement published Aug. 7. Lobsters and their larvae are among Indonesia’s top fisheries commodities. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra/Mongabay Indonesia. The most recent case was reported in early July, when customs officers in Batam, the largest city in the Riau Islands, seized a shipment of nearly 50,000 lobster larvae, of the species Panulirus ornatus and P. homarus, bound for Singapore. The value of the shipment was estimated at 5.55 billion rupiah ($363,000). It was unclear where the larvae had come from, but authorities said they released them into the waters off Batam.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/08/indonesia-singapore-lobster-larvae-smuggling-illegal-fisheries-trade-sustainability/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-272501</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Fishers on Indonesia’s Batam Island suffer as mangrove cover declines</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/fishers-on-indonesias-batam-island-suffer-as-mangrove-cover-declines/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/fishers-on-indonesias-batam-island-suffer-as-mangrove-cover-declines/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Jan 2023 04:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Yogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[global forests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/01/12082721/Fishers-on-Indonesias-Batam-Island-suffer-as-mangrove-cover-declines-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=264544</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau, Riau Islands, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Environment, Fishing, Forest Destruction, Forests, Governance, Mangroves, Oceans, Saltwater Fish, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BATAM, Indonesia — “There’s no more fish,” says Abdul Ganip, holding up a mostly empty flask containing a few prawns. “It&#8217;s a quiet catch.” For decades, the 57-year-old has lived and worked as a fisherman on the Indonesian island of Batam, better known as an industrial hub and special economic zone off the eastern coast [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BATAM, Indonesia — “There’s no more fish,” says Abdul Ganip, holding up a mostly empty flask containing a few prawns. “It&#8217;s a quiet catch.” For decades, the 57-year-old has lived and worked as a fisherman on the Indonesian island of Batam, better known as an industrial hub and special economic zone off the eastern coast of Sumatra. He and other fishermen eked out a profit catching and selling seafood on this 715-square-kilometer (276-square-mile) island, where the mangrove habitat accounted for only 4% of the landmass as of 1990. Similar to Singapore, less than an hour by ferry to the north, the rest of Batam is paved over and even expanded with infill, the reclamation of coastal and brackish areas with sand to create new land for factories, resorts and apartment blocks. Today, mangrove covers a mere 1.5% of the island, according to the satellite-imaging web service Nusantara Atlas. Landsat imagery shows that Batam had 5,873 hectares (14,513 acres) of mangrove in 1990. Today the island only has 2,395 hectares (5,918 acres). Ganip says he experienced a decline in catch in the past two years. His bubu traps, basket-like contraptions that float on the water’s surface, used to net him 3 kilograms (nearly 7 pounds) of fish a day. Now he can barely catch half a kilogram. His earnings have dropped from 250,000 rupiah ($16) a day to barely 50,000 rupiah ($3). Awang Gafar, 67, collects shrimp at the south end of Batam. In the 1980s, he says, those waters easily&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/fishers-on-indonesias-batam-island-suffer-as-mangrove-cover-declines/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/fishers-on-indonesias-batam-island-suffer-as-mangrove-cover-declines/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-264544</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesian lobster larvae bound for Singapore reveal role of smuggling network</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/indonesian-lobster-larvae-bound-for-singapore-reveal-role-of-smuggling-network/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/indonesian-lobster-larvae-bound-for-singapore-reveal-role-of-smuggling-network/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Sep 2022 13:53:32 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten GokkonYogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/12/19025652/lobster5-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=260867</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Riau Islands, Singapore, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Corruption, Crime, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Law, Law Enforcement, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, Politics, Sustainability, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA/BATAM, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities are investigating a network smuggling wild-caught lobster larvae to Singapore, following the seizures of two shipments worth an estimated 33.9 billion rupiah, or about $2.2 million. “The smuggling of lobster larvae remains rampant because there’s still such high demand for it from abroad coupled with some people who really are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA/BATAM, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities are investigating a network smuggling wild-caught lobster larvae to Singapore, following the seizures of two shipments worth an estimated 33.9 billion rupiah, or about $2.2 million. “The smuggling of lobster larvae remains rampant because there’s still such high demand for it from abroad coupled with some people who really are benefiting from the smuggling itself,” Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, the Indonesian fisheries minister, said in a statement sent to Mongabay on Sept. 28. Authorities made the first seizure, worth Rp 30 billion ($2 million), from a boat headed from Indonesia’s Riau Islands to Singapore, about an hour away, on Aug. 28. The second shipment, worth Rp 3.9 billion ($257,000), was impounded at the Jakarta international airport on Sept. 12, also destined for Singapore. In both cases, local smugglers appeared to be working with counterparts in Singapore, who had a “schedule” for deliveries into the city. Lobster larvae confiscated from a failed smuggling attempt. Image by Suryadi/Mongabay Indonesia. Hundreds of thousands of lobster larvae were confiscated from a foiled smuggling attempt in August. Image courtesy of the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Exports of lobster larvae were banned in 2016 by then-fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti in an effort to conserve the declining wild population and tackle the illegal lobster market. Susi’s successor, Edhy Prabowo, lifted the ban in May 2020, but was later jailed for taking bribes in exchange for awarding export licenses to companies controlled by his cronies. Sakti, who succeeded Edhy, reinstated the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/indonesian-lobster-larvae-bound-for-singapore-reveal-role-of-smuggling-network/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/indonesian-lobster-larvae-bound-for-singapore-reveal-role-of-smuggling-network/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-260867</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Ban on use of destructive net fails to make an impact in Indonesia, experts say</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/ban-on-use-of-destructive-net-fails-to-make-an-impact-in-indonesia-experts-say/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/ban-on-use-of-destructive-net-fails-to-make-an-impact-in-indonesia-experts-say/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Jul 2022 05:34:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten GokkonYogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hayat Indriyatno]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/07/19091949/Falahi-Mubarok_Musim-ikan-Tongkol-3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=258357</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Central Java, Indonesia, Java, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Law Enforcement, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, Politics, Regulations, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[NATUNA/JAKARTA, Indonesia — A year after it was introduced as a replacement for a type of fishing net long seen as unsustainable, the square-mesh seine net has prompted concerns from fisheries experts in Indonesia. The jaring tarik berkantong net was meant to be the less-destructive successor to the widely used cantrang net, which the Indonesian [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[NATUNA/JAKARTA, Indonesia — A year after it was introduced as a replacement for a type of fishing net long seen as unsustainable, the square-mesh seine net has prompted concerns from fisheries experts in Indonesia. The jaring tarik berkantong net was meant to be the less-destructive successor to the widely used cantrang net, which the Indonesian fisheries ministry effectively banned in July 2021. On paper, there are clear differences between the two: the jaring tarik berkantong has a square-shaped mesh, with a mesh size of 5 centimeters (2 inches), making it less likely for baby fish to be caught than in the diamond-meshed cantrang, with a mesh size of 2.5 cm (1 in). “Of course, there’s hope that the replacement has had some impact because the ministry must have done their research” when introducing it, said Oktavianto Darmono, a marine researcher at the think tank Fisheries Resource Center of Indonesia (FRCI). “But if you ask me if the impact has been significant, frankly speaking, no.” An inspection aboard a fishing boat, the KM Sinar Samudra, to check for the use of the banned cantrang fishing net. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra/Mongabay Indonesia. In the year since the change was imposed, reports have been published and submitted to the fisheries ministry about violations related to the use of both cantrang and its replacement. In a recent interview with Mongabay, Oktavianto said the only difference between cantrang and jaring tarik berkantong is the shape of the mesh. In practice, both nets are dragged&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/ban-on-use-of-destructive-net-fails-to-make-an-impact-in-indonesia-experts-say/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/ban-on-use-of-destructive-net-fails-to-make-an-impact-in-indonesia-experts-say/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-258357</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Easing of crackdown sees Vietnam boats encroach into Indonesian waters</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/easing-of-crackdown-sees-vietnam-boats-encroach-into-indonesian-waters/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/easing-of-crackdown-sees-vietnam-boats-encroach-into-indonesian-waters/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 May 2022 16:07:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten GokkonYogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hayat Indriyatno]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/05/20073100/Kapal-nelayan-Natuna-sedang-melaut-1536x864-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=256108</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, and Vietnam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Law Enforcement, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, Politics, Regulations, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BATAM/JAKARTA, Indonesia — A recent spate of illegal fishing incursions into Indonesian waters by Vietnamese vessels has sparked calls from local fishers and environmental activists for increased monitoring and security. Dozens of Vietnamese fishing boats have been detected throughout 2022 in the waters north of the Natuna Islands, according to reports and vessel-tracking intelligence. Known [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BATAM/JAKARTA, Indonesia — A recent spate of illegal fishing incursions into Indonesian waters by Vietnamese vessels has sparked calls from local fishers and environmental activists for increased monitoring and security. Dozens of Vietnamese fishing boats have been detected throughout 2022 in the waters north of the Natuna Islands, according to reports and vessel-tracking intelligence. Known as the North Natuna Sea, this stretch of water lies within Indonesia’s economic exclusive zone (EEZ) and borders Vietnam’s EEZ. The Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), a Jakarta-based think tank, reported 34 transmissions from AIS trackers belonging to Vietnamese vessels, and 107 satellite imagery sightings of more boats from the country, in the North Natuna Sea between February and April 2022. Indonesian fishers in the Natunas have also complained to local authorities of multiple encounters with Vietnam-flagged boats fishing in the area. “These foreign vessels are disrupting the fishing grounds of Natuna’s fishers; it’s estimated that our catches have dropped by about 50%,” Hendri, the head of the Natuna Fisher Alliance, told Mongabay Indonesia on April 26. A Vietnamese boat seized by Indonesian authorities in 2021. Image courtesy of the Indonesian Coast Guard. Natuna fishers at sea. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra/Mongabay Indonesia. Hendri said some of the Vietnamese boats would operate as close as 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) from the main island of Natuna during daylight hours. “When they’re already in our front yard, how come we’re not chasing them away or acting upon it?” he said. Indonesia’s fisheries ministry seized 603 foreign&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/easing-of-crackdown-sees-vietnam-boats-encroach-into-indonesian-waters/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/easing-of-crackdown-sees-vietnam-boats-encroach-into-indonesian-waters/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-256108</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesian fishing boat found with banned trawl net highlights enforcement challenges</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/indonesian-fishing-boat-found-with-banned-trawl-net-highlights-enforcement-challenges/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/indonesian-fishing-boat-found-with-banned-trawl-net-highlights-enforcement-challenges/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Mar 2022 01:16:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Yogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hayat Indriyatno]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/03/08120039/4.-Pemda-Natuna-dan-beberapa-orang-nelayan-memeriksa-kapal-KM-Sinar-Samudra-yang-ditangkap-Polairud-Natuna-karena-melanggar-zona-tangkap.-Foto-Polairud-Natuna-1536x1065-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=253502</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Borneo, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Law Enforcement, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, Politics, Regulations, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[NATUNA, Indonesia — A fishing vessel seized by authorities in Indonesia for a zoning violation was doing more than just fishing out of bounds, local fishers allege: it may have been using a destructive type of net that’s banned nationwide. Local maritime police seized the Indonesian-flagged KM Sinar Samudra on Feb. 18 after finding it [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[NATUNA, Indonesia — A fishing vessel seized by authorities in Indonesia for a zoning violation was doing more than just fishing out of bounds, local fishers allege: it may have been using a destructive type of net that’s banned nationwide. Local maritime police seized the Indonesian-flagged KM Sinar Samudra on Feb. 18 after finding it fishing within 13 nautical miles (24 kilometers) of the coast of the Natuna Islands. At 130 gross tonnage (GT), the vessel should have been operating at least 30 nautical miles (56 km) offshore, under a fisheries law provision for vessels larger than 30 GT. An inspection of the vessel found two types of fishing gear on board, one of which appeared to be a cantrang, a trawl net that was initially banned in 2015 for its destructive nature; a 2010 study showed that nearly 50% of cantrang catches were bycatch and discards. The KM Sinar Samudra. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra/Mongabay Indonesia. Inspectors check a net on board the KM Sinar Samudra after it was seized for fishing in a prohibited area. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra/Mongabay Indonesia. The cantrang ban was provisionally lifted shortly after it came into force, to allow an exemption for fishers from the north coast of Java Island, and was revoked entirely in November 2020. In July 2021, the fisheries ministry reimposed the national ban on cantrang and other destructive fishing gear to protect the country’s valuable marine resources. The KM Sinar Samudra was among the fleet of north coast Java&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/indonesian-fishing-boat-found-with-banned-trawl-net-highlights-enforcement-challenges/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/indonesian-fishing-boat-found-with-banned-trawl-net-highlights-enforcement-challenges/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-253502</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Illegal mangrove logging surges in Indonesia&#8217;s Batam amid economic hardship</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/illegal-mangrove-logging-surges-in-indonesia-amid-economic-hardship/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/illegal-mangrove-logging-surges-in-indonesia-amid-economic-hardship/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Dec 2021 15:27:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Yogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/12/10080822/Ribuan-kayu-bakau-di-amankan-polisi-yang-akan-di-Seludupakan-ke-Singapura-foto-Polda-Kepri-1200x661-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=250442</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, COVID-19, Crime, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Environment, Forests, Landscape Restoration, Mangroves, Pandemics, and Tropical Deforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BATAM, Indonesia — Indonesian officials in Sumatra’s Riau Islands province have reported a 280% increase in seizures of mangrove wood from would-be smugglers this year, attributing the surge in illegal logging to economic hardship among local fishers. Provincial police said they had confiscated 21,186 mangrove logs so far in 2021, up from 7,647 logs in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BATAM, Indonesia — Indonesian officials in Sumatra’s Riau Islands province have reported a 280% increase in seizures of mangrove wood from would-be smugglers this year, attributing the surge in illegal logging to economic hardship among local fishers. Provincial police said they had confiscated 21,186 mangrove logs so far in 2021, up from 7,647 logs in all of 2020. They said much of this mangrove wood came from the main island of Batam, with the logs destined for nearby Malaysia and Singapore. Police estimated the illegal sale of the logs would have deprived the state of 234 million rupiah ($16,300) in revenue. Logging of mangroves is illegal in Indonesia and punishable by up to five years in prison and 2.5 billion rupiah ($174,000) in fines. Mangrove wood seized from would-be smugglers in the Riau Islands. Image courtesy of the Riau Islands Police. A resident who asked not to be identified said a growing number of fishermen had turned to cutting and selling mangrove trees to earn a living because of declining fish catches. Customs officials said the economic hardship wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic has also compounded the problem. Hendrik, a coordinator of Akar Bhumi, a Batam-based NGO focusing on mangrove rehabilitation, said the illegal logging of mangroves was contributing to environmental damage across the Riau Islands, a small archipelago between the eastern edge of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. “Fish and shrimps lay their eggs between the mangroves, and if they’re cut down, then there won’t be a place for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/illegal-mangrove-logging-surges-in-indonesia-amid-economic-hardship/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/illegal-mangrove-logging-surges-in-indonesia-amid-economic-hardship/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-250442</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>From Flores to Papua: Meet 10 of Indonesia’s mangrove guardians</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/06/from-flores-to-papua-meet-10-of-indonesias-mangrove-guardians/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/06/from-flores-to-papua-meet-10-of-indonesias-mangrove-guardians/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jun 2021 20:30:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Loren Bell]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[global forests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/05/02022722/Ridwan-photo-by-Donny-Iqbal-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=243057</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Peoples and Conservation, Indigenous-led conservation, and Indonesia's Forest Guardians]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Afforestation, Biodiversity, Community Forests, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation Solutions, Deforestation, Environment, Fisheries, Forest Loss, Forest Recovery, Forest Regeneration, Forestry, Forests, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Indigenous Peoples, Mangroves, Nature-based climate solutions, Oceans, Reforestation, Sea Levels, Solutions, Traditional People, Trees, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia has more mangrove forests than anywhere else on Earth. The country&#8217;s 17,500 islands house around 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of mangrove, or one-fifth of the world&#8217;s remaining area. However, these unique ecosystems crucial for marine habitat, flood control and carbon sequestration are quickly being cleared. Last year, President Joko Widodo’s administration announced [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia has more mangrove forests than anywhere else on Earth. The country&#8217;s 17,500 islands house around 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of mangrove, or one-fifth of the world&#8217;s remaining area. However, these unique ecosystems crucial for marine habitat, flood control and carbon sequestration are quickly being cleared. Last year, President Joko Widodo’s administration announced an ambitious plan to replant mangroves on 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) of degraded coastline by 2024. While this made headlines, there is some skepticism whether the slow-moving bureaucracy can meet this goal — at least not without the help of local advocates passionate about protecting these vital habitats. Here we highlight 10 of Indonesia&#8217;s mangrove heroes — just a few of the many individuals and local groups who have toiled in relative obscurity while planting hundreds of thousands of trees across the country. They have worked tirelessly for decades, often at great personal expense, to restore these habitats, because they recognize the benefits healthy mangroves provide for their communities. 1) Iwan Winarto: Protecting ecotourism by protecting mangroves Iwan Winarto. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra for Mongabay. When Iwan Winarto first arrived in the coastal village of Pengudang, on Bintan Island off the eastern coast of Sumatra, he knew the area&#8217;s white-sand beaches, stately boulders and clear waters had high potential for tourism. He also learned how its mangroves play a vital role in keeping the water clear despite the bustle of international shipping through the Malacca Strait, and how the seagrass beds provide a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/06/from-flores-to-papua-meet-10-of-indonesias-mangrove-guardians/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/06/from-flores-to-papua-meet-10-of-indonesias-mangrove-guardians/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-243057</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Arrests in Indonesian probe into latest case of labor abuses on Chinese fishing boats</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/arrests-in-indonesian-probe-into-latest-case-of-labor-abuses-on-chinese-fishing-boats/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/arrests-in-indonesian-probe-into-latest-case-of-labor-abuses-on-chinese-fishing-boats/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Jul 2020 10:44:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/07/27074256/kapal-lu-huang-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=233047</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Central Java, Indonesia, Java, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Crime, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Forced labor, Governance, Human Rights, Illegal Fishing, Illegal Trade, Law Enforcement, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, shark finning, Sustainability, Trade, trafficking, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Authorities in Indonesia have arrested and charged six executives from local recruitment agencies linked to the forced labor endured by 22 Indonesians on board two Chinese fishing boats. Those charged are accused of the human trafficking of the migrant workers, one of whom died on board one of the boats and was stored [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Authorities in Indonesia have arrested and charged six executives from local recruitment agencies linked to the forced labor endured by 22 Indonesians on board two Chinese fishing boats. Those charged are accused of the human trafficking of the migrant workers, one of whom died on board one of the boats and was stored in a freezer. The workers were recruited in Indonesia and left the country for Singapore in late December 2019 to work on the Chinese-owned boats Lu Huang Yuan Yu 117 and Lu Huang Yuan Yu 118. The boats were scheduled to sail to Argentina to fish for squid. When the boats arrived back in Indonesian waters in early July, they were stopped by authorities who had been tipped off about alleged crew abuse and human trafficking. Police discovered the body of one of the workers, Hasan Afriandi, 20, inside the freezer on the Lu Huang Yuan Yu 118. Arie Dharmanto, the police officer overseeing the investigation from the province of Riau Islands, said at a July 26 press conference that the recruitment of the workers by the local agencies did not comply with labor laws. He added his office was working with Interpol on the investigation, as they suspect that a recruitment company based in Singapore was also involved. Police in the Riau Islands have impounded both boats as part of the investigation. Indonesian authorities hold a press conference at the dock in the Riau Islands where the Lu Huang Yuan Yu 117 and Lu&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/arrests-in-indonesian-probe-into-latest-case-of-labor-abuses-on-chinese-fishing-boats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/arrests-in-indonesian-probe-into-latest-case-of-labor-abuses-on-chinese-fishing-boats/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-233047</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>To deter Chinese sea claims, Indonesia puts its fishers on the front line</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/01/natuna-indonesia-china-fisheries-illegal-fishing/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/01/natuna-indonesia-china-fisheries-illegal-fishing/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Jan 2020 09:53:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/01/13062929/susi-operasi-ilegal-fishing-kapal-china-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=226178</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia is ramping up its fisheries in the waters around its northern Natuna Islands, following an incursion into the area by fishing boats and a coast guard vessel from China. The area in question is internationally recognized as part of Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone, a sweep of sea extending 200 nautical miles (370 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia is ramping up its fisheries in the waters around its northern Natuna Islands, following an incursion into the area by fishing boats and a coast guard vessel from China. The area in question is internationally recognized as part of Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone, a sweep of sea extending 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the country’s coast. But according to China, the area falls within the “Nine-Dash Line” that stakes Beijing’s claim to much of the South China Sea. (China doesn’t claim the islands themselves, but fishing rights within the seas around them.) The latest standoff began last December when a fleet of Chinese fishing vessels appeared to be operating in the Natuna waters, accompanied by a Chinese coast guard ship. While foreign boats are allowed to pass through a country’s EEZ, fishing there is strictly prohibited. Indonesia has since beefed up its military presence in the area, with the Chinese vessels reportedly leaving Indonesia’s EEZ earlier this month. President Joko Widdodo, who visited the islands in a show of force, has also asked Japan to invest in fisheries, energy and tourism in the Natunas, in a bid to cement Indonesia’s presence in the area. “There is no bargaining when it comes to our sovereignty, our country’s territorial,” Widodo said on Jan. 6. In addition, the government has called on domestic fishing fleets operating in the Java Sea to deploy to the Natunas some 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) away. This last move has prompted criticism of both&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/01/natuna-indonesia-china-fisheries-illegal-fishing/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/01/natuna-indonesia-china-fisheries-illegal-fishing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-226178</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesian governor latest official busted for bribes in environmental case</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/07/indonesian-governor-latest-official-busted-for-bribes-in-environmental-case/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/07/indonesian-governor-latest-official-busted-for-bribes-in-environmental-case/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jul 2019 19:45:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Indra Nugraha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/07/12032052/15409647683_fd3e25f789_b-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=220424</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Southeast Asian infrastructure]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Aquaculture, Cities, Coastal Ecosystems, Corruption, Crime, Development, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Law, Fisheries, Forests, Governance, Infrastructure, Islands, Law, Law Enforcement, and Marine]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
											<grant>
							<![CDATA[G-1801-55636, DFFF2019, 2018-67916]]>
						</grant>
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency has charged a governor from the island of Sumatra with bribery in connection to a land reclamation project, in the latest high-profile case of environmental graft in the country. Nurdin Basirun, who heads the Riau Islands province in the Malacca Strait, was arrested on the night of July 10 at [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency has charged a governor from the island of Sumatra with bribery in connection to a land reclamation project, in the latest high-profile case of environmental graft in the country. Nurdin Basirun, who heads the Riau Islands province in the Malacca Strait, was arrested on the night of July 10 at his home after allegedly transacting a bribe. Three other people have also been charged, including the head of the provincial marine and fisheries department, Edy Sofyan; the department’s head of capture fisheries, Budi Hartono; and Abu Bakar, a businessman alleged to have bribed Nurdin. The governor is alleged to have taken the equivalent of at least $11,300 in bribes through a series of bank transfers made by Abu Bakar via the two fisheries department officials. Investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK as it’s known by its Indonesian initials, seized a further $47,300 in various currencies at Nurdin’s house. KPK officials say the bribe was linked to a permit that Nurdin issued in May for a 10-hectare (25-acre) reclamation project in the province’s Piayu Bay. The first transfer was recorded on May 30; the permit was issued May 31. KPK deputy commissioner Basaria Panjaitan, seated, holds a press conference in Jakarta on July 11 to announce the arrest of the Riau Islands governor, Burdin Basirun, for allegedly taking bribes to approve a land reclamation permit. Image by Indra Nugraha/Mongabay Indonesia. Abu Bakar had sought the permit to build a resort and tourism site in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/07/indonesian-governor-latest-official-busted-for-bribes-in-environmental-case/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/07/indonesian-governor-latest-official-busted-for-bribes-in-environmental-case/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-220424</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Pulp and paper supplier denies draining peat on island near Singapore</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/09/pulp-and-paper-supplier-denies-draining-peat-on-island-near-singapore/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/09/pulp-and-paper-supplier-denies-draining-peat-on-island-near-singapore/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Sep 2016 18:31:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay Haze Beat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/09/01191319/sagu6-Screen-Shot-2016-09-07-at-5.08.25-AM-520x264.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=189324</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Jokowi Commitments]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and West Kalimantan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Crime, Environment, Environmental Policy, Fires, Forestry, Forests, Governance, Law Enforcement, Palm Oil, Peatlands, Plantations, Pulp And Paper, Rainforests, Saving Rainforests, Solutions, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A NASA satellite detected 140 hotspots in West Kalimantan on Monday as smallholders in the province continued to burn land for agriculture, Indonesia’s disaster management agency said on Tuesday. Data from Global Forest Watch shows the district of Ketapang recorded 144 fire alerts over the last seven days, 44 of which were in the subdistrict [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A NASA satellite detected 140 hotspots in West Kalimantan on Monday as smallholders in the province continued to burn land for agriculture, Indonesia’s disaster management agency said on Tuesday. Data from Global Forest Watch shows the district of Ketapang recorded 144 fire alerts over the last seven days, 44 of which were in the subdistrict of Hulu Sungai. The number of fire alerts in Ketapang is more than double the number in Melawi, the district with second-highest number of fires. Both districts are contiguous and lie to the south of provincial capital Pontianak. Indonesian state media reported that the disaster management agency had dispatched Bell 214 and Bolco helicopters to drop water on fires while the air force was operating cloud-seeding flights in the area. A total of 3,500 personnel were working to extinguish fires. Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has pledged to significantly curtail annual wildfires before his term as president ends in 2019. The government’s ability to mitigate fires will in part depend on the success of the peatland restoration agency, known as the BRG, that Jokowi created in January by decree to rehabilitate 2 million hectares of peat. The agency operates in a politically awkward corridor between Indonesia’s environment and agriculture ministries, where civil servants’ competing priorities have long restricted efficient government. This week, however, the agency saw its authority enhanced after a pulp and paper firm was reprimanded by the government and its chief executive apologized for obstructing inspectors at a controversial site a week ago. Agency chief Nazir&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/09/pulp-and-paper-supplier-denies-draining-peat-on-island-near-singapore/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-189324</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia&#8217;s antigraft agency strives to rein in the mining sector</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/02/indonesias-antigraft-agency-strives-to-rein-in-the-mining-sector/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/02/indonesias-antigraft-agency-strives-to-rein-in-the-mining-sector/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Feb 2016 03:30:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Fidelis E. Satriastanti]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/02/01223144/Mining-in-Riau-495x330.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Jokowi Commitments]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Bangka Belitung, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, Jambi, North Maluku, Riau Islands, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, South Sumatra, Southeast Asia, Southeast Sulawesi, and West Kalimantan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coal, Conservation, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corruption, Crime, Economics, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Forestry, Forests, Governance, Law Enforcement, Mining, Politics, Rainforests, Saving Rainforests, Solutions, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Forest Management, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A coalition of NGOs working with Indonesia’s antigraft agency has produced an index on mining practices and supervision in 12 provinces, part of an official effort to combat the prevailing state of illegality in the sector. Central Sulawesi scored the highest, 68. The province saw a dramatic reduction in the number of hectares in which [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A coalition of NGOs working with Indonesia’s antigraft agency has produced an index on mining practices and supervision in 12 provinces, part of an official effort to combat the prevailing state of illegality in the sector. Central Sulawesi scored the highest, 68. The province saw a dramatic reduction in the number of hectares in which a mining permit overlaps with a conservation forest, from 300,000 in 2014 to 5,000 in 2015. South Kalimantan scored the lowest, 32. More than half of the province’s mining licenses are not “clean and clear,” which means they are illegal in some way and should be revoked, according to the coalition. Hundreds of permits have been annulled since the initiative began in early 2014, when the 12 provinces signed an agreement with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) which committed them to participate. A mine in Sumatra. Photo by Rhett A. Butler The initiative, known as the Korsup Minerba – an Indonesian acronym for Supervision and Coordination of Mineral and Coal Mining Management – is one of several drives focused on improving governance of the country’s natural resources. The index, compiled by the Anti Mining-Mafia Coalition, assesses the local governments’ progress in ensuring that the miners under their watch are following the rules. It considers a variety of metrics, from payment of taxes and royalties to compliance with environmental regulations and data submission requirements. The authors placed a special emphasis on permits that overlap with conservation forests, given the clear illegality in such cases, said Timur Manurung,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/02/indonesias-antigraft-agency-strives-to-rein-in-the-mining-sector/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-181218</doi>				</item>
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