The Save Sangihe Island Coalition rallied in front of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on Monday, October 8, 2025, demanding for a complete halt to mining activities on North Sulawesi's Sangihe Island in North Sulawesi due to critical ecological risks.

During the protest, the coalition − which consists of the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), Greenpeace Indonesia, KontraS, Save Sangihe Ikekendage, and Diaspora Sangihe − handed over a research report from several academic institutions, revealing the heavy contamination of Sangihe’s waters with toxic heavy metals, posing risks to the local community’s health and the marine ecosystem.

The findings showed that the concentration of arsenic, mercury, and cadmium in the sediments exceeded environmental quality standards, posing a serious threat to marine life and food security for local coastal communities.

Alfarhat Kasman, a Jatam campaigner, said the presence of illegal mining and the continued operation of unauthorized mines on Sangihe Island not only violates the law, but also threatens the survival of the local community and the ecosystem.

“We demand that the government immediately halt all mining activities on Sangihe Island. If left unchecked, the environmental damage will escalate, affecting global ecological sustainability,” Alfarh at said in a statement obtained by Indonesia Business Post on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

Sangihe, a small island with an area of 736.98 km², is constitutionally protected from mining activities. Under the 2007 Coastal and Small Islands Management Law (Law No. 27/2007 and Law No. 1/2014), the island is designated for strict legal protection.

Despite the revocation of PT Tambang Mas Sangihe (TMS)’s operational permit in 2023, illegal mining activities have continued to rise. There are increasing allegations of involvement by local officials and the company in illegal mining networks, further exacerbating the situation.

Greenpeace Indonesia’s report also reveals that by 2024, Sangihe had lost nearly 1,000 hectares of forest cover, with a significant portion of the damage attributed to illegal mining activities. This loss of primary forests has contributed to the release of 82.1 kilotons of carbon dioxide (CO₂e) into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.

Sangihe Island is also of global ecological importance. It is part of the Coral Triangle and serves as a key migration route for tuna, making it an Ecologically or Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) within the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion. The presence of gold mining, which causes deforestation and marine pollution, threatens a delicate ecological balance that has been maintained for thousands of years.

“Contamination of Sangihe’s waters with heavy metals will affect both human health and marine life, disrupting migration patterns of marine species. If left unaddressed, this environmental damage will not only harm the local community but also impact global ecosystems,” Alfarhat said.

The coalition calls for a total cessation of all mining activities on Sangihe Island and immediate restoration of the damaged ecosystems. They ask the government to honor legal decisions that have revoked PT TMS’s operational permits and to stop all forms of mining on the island to ensure the survival of both the community and the environment.

If these efforts fail, Sangihe Island, already on the brink of destruction, will face irreversible ecological damage with far-reaching global consequences.