A nickel mine in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago was shut down in June after a mining ban, but operations restarted last September after the government claimed it was compliant with environmental requirements and could be considered a “green mine.” So what does the reopening mean? The mine pollution can threaten the world’s largest population of reef manta rays and the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle, with 99% of the coral reef and all of the island’s forest areas now at risk. Scientists and local and international NGOs are demanding the permanent cancellation of all mining concessions in Raja Ampat. More than 60,000 people have already signed a petition to stop mining in one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world.
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