Nemo Defends Territory with a Little Help from his Friends

Rarely do fish and fishermen find themselves on the same team, resisting an adversary threatening the very lives of both. Word from North Sulawesi's Bangka island is that a rare convergence of interests pits fish, fishermen, tarsiers, dive tourists and nature lovers against the mining company PT Mikgro Metal Perdana (PT MMP).

"Bangka Island’s 2,700 residents make their living fishing, tending coconut and cashew plantations, and catering to a growing tourism trade based on the coral reef," according to a report from Inside Indonesia. "Residents are virtually united in their rejection of the mine, concerned it will threaten coral reefs and diminish fishing yields."

Legal battles have ensued to determine the rights of the mining company and those of local residents. It's hard to see how everyone could come out a winner. 

"Should the protest groups lose their struggle, the implications for the surrounding diving tourist economy and local food security are likely to be significant," writes Tessa Toumbourou, an environmental governance researcher based in Jakarta.

"As with other locations allocated for mining in Indonesia, the full social, cultural, economic and economic costs must be factored into decision-making over land use. These social and environmental costs must not be thrust upon local communities, who are the least able to shoulder additional burdens."