The Ministry of Environment has found that four nickel mining companies operating in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua Province, have violated environmental regulations, with three of them having had their mining activities halted by the government.

Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said that the ministry conducted inspections of nickel mining operations in Raja Ampat from May 26 to 31, 2025. The inspections aimed to enforce environmental law and protect the region’s coastal and small island ecosystems, which hold significant ecological value.

“This action is part of our commitment to environmental law enforcement and the protection of critical ecosystems in coastal and small island areas,” Hanif said as quoted in a statement on Thursday, June 5, 2025.

The four companies under scrutiny were:

● PT Gag Nikel (GN);

● PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining (KSM);

● PT Anugerah Surya Pratama (ASP);

● PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa (MRP).

All four companies possess mining business permits, but only PT GN, PT KSM, and PT ASP have Forest Area Utilization Approvals (PPKH). The inspections revealed significant violations of environmental laws and poor management practices in small island areas.

PT Anugerah Surya Pratama (ASP), a foreign investment firm from China, was found operating on Manuran Island (±746 hectares) without any environmental management systems or wastewater controls. The ministry has placed a warning sign at the site, officially halting all operations.

PT Gag Nikel (GN), operating on Gag Island (±6,030.53 hectares), and PT ASP are now under environmental permit review. Both islands are categorized as small islands, making mining activities on them a violation of Law No. 1/2014 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands.

Hanif emphasized that if the companies are found to be in breach of the law, their environmental permits will be revoked.

“Mining on small islands is a violation of intergenerational justice. The Ministry will not hesitate to revoke permits if the activities are proven to damage irreplaceable ecosystems,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa (MRP) was found to be operating on Batang Pele Island without an environmental permit or PPKH. All exploration activities have been ordered to stop immediately.

PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining (KSM) was also found violating its permit by operating outside the approved environmental and forest areas, clearing approximately 5 hectares of land illegally on Kawe Island.

The ministry’s actions underline its firm stance on enforcing environmental laws and protecting the biodiversity-rich region of Raja Ampat, home to some of the world’s most unique marine and island ecosystems.