The Indonesian Environmental Forum (WALHI) urges the government to abolish Government Regulation (PP) No. 26/2023 on reclamation and sea sand mining as it has the potential to damage the environment.

Mukri Friatna, Deputy Walhi chairman for External Affairs, said that there are several points in the regulation that need to be evaluated, namely collaboration between entrepreneurs and the government in reclamation recommendations.

"This recommendation has been allocated for reclamation and mining of 30 meters of sea sand, which should not be done in areas that only have 21 meters in depth," Mukri told a press conference on Thursday, January 16, 2025.

He asked the government to immediately revoke articles related to reclamation that are detrimental to the environment. In addition, he asked for environmental protection to be improved.

On the same occasion, Mukri also expressed concern over the construction of a 30-kilometer (km) sea fence in Tangerang Regency, citing that it was deliberately built to open new land at sea or reclamation. This development is in line with the Tangerang Regency Regional Regulation (Perda) No. 13/2011 on Tangerang Regency Spatial Planning Plan for 2011-2031.

Article 2 paragraph one of the regulation states that the Regency is geographically located at coordinates 106°20’–106°44’ East Longitude and 5°58’–6°21’ South Latitude, with a land area of approximately 95,961 hectares, plus a coastal reclamation area of approximately 9,000 hectares, with a coastline of approximately 51 kilometers.

"If we find that the area of Tangerang Regency is different, one figure is 95,000, the other is more than 100,000, because it has included the number of reclamation materials in the area. That is one of the factors or reasons why we call it by design," Mukri said.

He also cited another factor that strengthens the fence has been planned is the strategic planning data for the management of coastal areas and small islands. From the regulation, the location, area, name of the place, and investment of Rp20 trillion (US$1.2 billion) have been explained.

In addition, there is a long-term development plan for Tangerang Regency for 2025-2045, with an article that describes making the north coast a new city with a reclamation strategy.

Mukri also asked the community and related parties to jointly urge the Banten Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD), the House of Representatives (DPR), and the government to review all special spatial planning permits. The construction of the fence in the Tangerang sea has a business motive of selling land and water for the interests of certain groups.

"We ask that regulations that weaken the environment be removed. If not, the impact will be very detrimental," he said.