Indonesia seizes part of sprawling nickel site over forest violations
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The Indonesian government has been examining potential forestry regulation violations across several industries.
PHOTO: AFP
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JAKARTA – Indonesia has seized a small section of the world’s largest nickel mine for encroaching on forest areas without permission, the authorities said on Sept 12.
The Weda Bay Nickel concession, which has long been criticised by environmental and indigenous rights groups for its effects on the surrounding forest, spans 45,000ha on Halmahera island.
The authorities have now seized nearly 150ha that encroached into forest areas without obtaining a licence, Mr Anang Supriatna, a spokesman for Indonesia’s attorney-general’s office, said.
“The task force has taken over the area by sealing it, and the land will be returned to the government,” he added.
Weda Bay Nickel is a joint venture of Indonesia’s Antam and Singapore-based Strand Minerals, whose shares are divided between French mining giant Eramet and Chinese steel major Tsingshan.
In a statement, Eramet said the area seized was “a quarry producing rocks for construction materials and maintenance”, and mining operations were not affected.
Weda Bay Nickel said they were working with the authorities to clarify all existing permits.
“We remain committed to taking full responsibility for any potential breaches and to implementing corrective actions,” a company statement said.
The seizure comes as Indonesia’s government examines potential forestry regulation violations across several industries, including the palm oil and mining sectors.
Environmental impact
The concession, which accounted for 17 per cent of global nickel production in 2023, has long been the target of criticism for its environmental impact.
An AFP investigation in 2025
The community, parts of which remain uncontacted, says the forest they have long relied on for food and shelter is being destroyed by deforestation and environmental degradation linked to the mine.
Weda Bay Nickel denies the allegations and says it is committed to “responsible mining and protecting the environment”.
Activists said the seizure was unlikely to change the broader concession’s impact on local communities, and urged the government to turn the seized land over to affected residents.
“If the seizure is aimed for the benefit of the people, then the people should be the ones managing it,” Mr Melky Nahar, coordinator of the Mining Advocacy Network environmental group, said.
Nickel is central to Indonesia’s growth strategy. It banned ore exports in 2020 to capture more of the value chain.
The country is both the world’s largest producer and home to the biggest-known reserves.
Mining – dominated by coal and nickel – represented nearly 9 per cent of its GDP in the first quarter of 2025, government data showed. AFP
