Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the immediate removal of bamboo barriers illegally installed along 30 kilometers off the coasts of Tangerang Regency, Banten province, a close aide said on Wednesday.

The president also instructed law enforcement authorities to investigate the barriers, according to Ahmad Muzani, secretary-general of Prabowo’s Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).

“The president has approved the dismantling of the offshore barriers and has called for an investigation,” said Muzani, who also serves as the speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR).

A government official confirmed that the bamboo barriers are not part of the ongoing “national strategic project” in the coastal area, which includes the upscale residential and business districts known as Pantai Indah Kapuk 2.

Wahyu Utomo, a deputy for the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs overseeing regional development, said the coastal area is under government protection for environmental preservation. He added that no infrastructure construction is allowed without proper permits.

“No property developer has requested a permit to install offshore barriers,” Wahyu said. 

The barriers – which are six meters tall, reinforced with nets, and anchored by sacks of sand -- encircle 16 villages across six districts in Tangerang Regency, obstructing the movement of fishing boats in the area and raising concerns among local communities.