Under such circumstances, conservation often loses out to immediate survival needs. The trade in sea turtle eggs, the use of turtle shell products, and high-risk compressor diving become rational economic choices for families struggling to make ends meet.
MARITIMEPOSTS.COM – As the world marks World Environment Day on June 5, 2026, with renewed calls for green development and environmental stewardship, West Sulawesi faces a far more troubling reality.
Behind speeches celebrating sustainability and ecological responsibility, one of the province’s greatest natural assets—its marine ecosystem—is under unprecedented pressure.
While glossy tourism brochures showcase vibrant coral reefs and pristine tropical waters, the seabed of the Balabalakang Archipelago tells a very different story. In July 2024, divers from Mamuju Ocean Conservation discovered extensive fields of broken, shattered, and dead coral around Samataha Island. The destruction is widely believed to be the cumulative result of years of blast fishing.
The findings expose a striking paradox: while authorities speak of marine protection, the very ecosystems meant to be protected continue to deteriorate.
Balabalakang: A Protected Area in Name Only?
Legally speaking, the Balabalakang Islands are not without protection. Under Indonesia’s Ministerial Decree of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. 47 of 2022, the area has been formally designated as a marine conservation zone.
Yet this legal status has failed to translate into meaningful protection on the water. The devastation documented around Samataha Island demonstrates that regulations alone are insufficient to halt destructive fishing practices.
The situation reflects a familiar challenge in environmental governance: conservation areas often appear stronger on paper than in reality. Limited monitoring, inadequate patrols, and weak law enforcement have reduced conservation status to little more than an administrative label.
As a result, the public is led to believe that these ecosystems are secure, while marine habitats continue to decline beneath the surface.
When Fish Bombs Drown Out Conservation Efforts
Perhaps the most tragic illustration of West Sulawesi’s marine crisis was documented in a 2022 report by researchers from Hasanuddin University’s Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries.
While members of the Marine Plastic Research Group (MPRG) were conducting coral transplantation and seagrass restoration to support sea turtle habitats, repeated fish-bomb explosions echoed through the surrounding waters.
The scene was painfully symbolic. On one side, scientists and conservationists were attempting to rebuild damaged ecosystems. On the other, destructive practices were actively undoing those efforts in real time.
The report identified several groups responsible for these activities. Fishers from Balikpapan, Pangkep, and Makassar were reportedly involved in large-scale blast fishing operations across provincial boundaries. Some local fishers relied on potassium cyanide to capture live groupers for export markets.
Meanwhile, illegal trawl vessels from Madura operated almost continuously, scraping the seafloor and removing everything in their path.
Together, these practices have placed extraordinary pressure on the ecologically valuable marine ecosystems of Balabalakang.
Rare Earth Elements: A National Treasure or a New Environmental Threat?
As the sea struggles to recover from decades of destructive fishing, a new threat is emerging from the mainland.
The Indonesian government has identified substantial deposits of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in Mamuju Regency, describing them as a strategic national resource with an estimated downstream industrial value of Rp124.61 trillion (approximately US$7.5 billion).
The deposits are spread across several large blocks, including Takandeang, Botteng, and Bebanga-Ampalas, covering tens of thousands of hectares. In early 2026, the government announced plans for a pilot downstream processing project to be implemented by PT Perminas under the coordination of Danantara.
From an economic perspective, the project promises major investment opportunities and industrial growth. From an environmental perspective, however, the risks are substantial.
The geology of Mamuju is known to contain naturally occurring radioactive materials, particularly uranium and thorium, which are often associated with rare earth deposits. Indonesia’s Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN) has repeatedly warned that mining activities that fail to meet strict environmental standards could increase the risk of radioactive exposure.
International experience offers cautionary lessons. Cases in China’s Jiangxi Province and the controversial Lynas rare earth processing operations in Malaysia have demonstrated how poorly managed waste streams can generate long-term environmental impacts. If processing waste contaminates river systems flowing into the Makassar Strait, the consequences could affect fisheries and coastal livelihoods for decades.
Poverty as a Driver of Environmental Degradation
Environmental degradation in West Sulawesi cannot be understood separately from the socio-economic realities faced by coastal communities.
On small islands such as Salissingan, the cost of living is significantly higher than on the mainland. A three-kilogram LPG cylinder can cost up to Rp40,000, while clean water must be purchased for approximately Rp5,000 per gallon. Dependence on pioneer shipping services as the sole transportation link leaves communities vulnerable whenever services are disrupted.
Under such circumstances, conservation often loses out to immediate survival needs. The trade in sea turtle eggs, the use of turtle shell products, and high-risk compressor diving become rational economic choices for families struggling to make ends meet.
The story of Haji Arif illustrates this reality. After years of diving with improvised compressor equipment, he suffered severe decompression sickness that left him paralyzed. It took three years before he was able to walk again.
Ironically, researchers have already proposed alternative livelihood strategies. A 2022 study by Hasanuddin University recommended the development of dried fish processing, coconut oil production, and duck farming as more sustainable income sources. Yet many of these recommendations remain trapped in reports and policy documents, never fully implemented on the ground.
The Silence of Environmental Advocacy
Against this backdrop, civil society organizations should play a crucial role in shaping public debate and holding decision-makers accountable. Yet environmental advocacy in West Sulawesi faces significant constraints.
Several local organizations continue to contribute through conservation and community empowerment programs. Among them is Yayasan Karampuang Mamuju, a respected local NGO that has worked in the region for more than two decades and received the SDGs Action Award in 2022.
Nevertheless, advocacy surrounding major strategic issues such as rare earth mining remains limited. Dependence on specific funding sources can create difficult dilemmas for local organizations seeking to challenge development agendas that may carry environmental risks.
At the same time, the limited presence of major national and international environmental organizations has left a noticeable gap in public scrutiny of large-scale extractive policies.
A Defining Moment for West Sulawesi
West Sulawesi now stands at a critical crossroads. As a region strategically positioned near Indonesia’s new national capital area, it possesses significant opportunities for growth and development. Yet those opportunities are accompanied by equally significant risks.
If blast fishing continues unchecked, if marine protected areas remain protected only on paper, and if mineral extraction proceeds without transparency and robust environmental safeguards, West Sulawesi risks losing its most valuable asset: a healthy and productive marine ecosystem.
Saving the province’s seas will require far more than coral transplantation projects or annual environmental ceremonies.
It demands political courage to strengthen enforcement in conservation areas, crack down on destructive fishing practices, and subject strategic mining projects to rigorous public oversight.
Today, West Sulawesi stands at a historic crossroads. The choice is both simple and profound: become a model of sustainable development for Indonesia’s future, or become a cautionary tale of how extraordinary natural wealth can be lost through the failure to balance economic ambition with ecological responsibility.
This version is written in a style suitable for international environmental media, policy journals, think-tank publications, or global conservation platforms.
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Muhammad Syukri, Lemsa – NGO activist from Tapalang, Mamuju, West Sulawesi
