Jakarta. Indonesia’s Environment Ministry announced on Sunday that it will pursue legal action against three nickel mining companies accused of polluting small islands in the marine tourism region of Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua.

The companies under investigation are Anugerah Surya Pratama (ASP), Mulya Raymond Perkasa (MRP), and Kawei Sejahtera Mining (KSM).

Speaking at a press conference in Jakarta, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said that the ministry had found evidence of serious environmental violations by the three companies. ASP, which operates on Manuran Island, has been ordered to cease operations and now faces potential civil and criminal penalties.

“ASP was found conducting mining activities without proper environmental management, resulting in seawater pollution and high levels of coastal turbidity,” Hanif said.

According to data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, ASP received its mining permit on January 7, 2024, for a 10-year period covering 1,173 hectares on Manuran Island. However, Hanif said the company’s environmental documentation was issued by the Raja Ampat regency and has not yet been received by the central government.

“We will request the documents for review, as serious contamination has occurred. There is no record of environmental management reporting,” he said.

Environmental violations were also discovered on Kawei and Manyaifun islands. KSM was found to have cleared land beyond its permitted concession area, while MRP holds only a mining business license and has failed to submit any environmental management plans. Both operations have been suspended by the ministry.

“We recorded unauthorized land clearing of five hectares by KSM, which violates its environmental approval. MRP, meanwhile, lacks any environmental documentation despite its operations being located on a small protected island. Under these circumstances, it's very unlikely we could ever grant environmental clearance,” Hanif added.

Ministry records show that both KSM and MRP received their mining permits from local, not central, authorities.

MRP was granted a 20-year mining license on February 26, 2013, covering 2,193 hectares on Batang Pele Island. Its activities are still in the exploration and drilling phase.

KSM, meanwhile, has held a 20-year production license since 2013 for a 5,922-hectare concession area. Although it began nickel production in 2023, no active mining operations are currently taking place.