Indonesian environmental activists face jail after exposing the damage illegal shrimp farms are causing to Karimunjawa Marine National Park
Rising up out of Indonesia’s sapphire blue waters, the Karimunjawa archipelago, a group of 27 islands only five of which are permanently inhabited, is a protected marine national park off the north coast of Java. With healthy and vibrant coral reefs offshore, sugar sand beaches and a luxuriant, forested and hilly interior, these islands should be – and in most respects are – the ultimate tropical fantasy islands.
But, despite the supposed protection that being a marine national park should bring, things aren’t as perfect as the postcard-perfect images might lead you to believe. The marine park is divided into a number of different zones: some are strictly protected and in others, artisanal fishing and tourism activities are allowed.
However, the islands have seen a proliferation of illegal shrimp farming operations springing up over the past few years, which environmental groups say is leading to environmental damage. Â
Now, four environmental activists from the group Save Karimunjawa National Coalition, who spoke out on social media about these illegal farms have been accused of contravening a controversial 2008 law on hate speech and face jail terms of up to ten months as well as hefty fines.
According to Greenpeace Indonesia, the shrimp farms are largely opposed by local residents, and the waste from the farms is dumped directly into the sea, damaging coral and mangroves and reducing fish populations.
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Bambang Zakariya, the co-ordinator of Lingkar Juang Karimunjawa (LINGKAR, the Association of Karimunjawa People), said that the existence of these farms is causing ‘extraordinary environmental damage’, and ‘fuelling conflict in society between fishermen and the shrimp farmers’. Zakariya also said that tourists have begun complaining about the damage the shrimp farms are causing.
The first of the four accused is Daniel Frits Maurits Tangkilisan, who was charged in June 2023 for his criticism of the shrimp farms posted on Facebook the previous year. He was brought to trial on 19 March 2024; the verdict hearing in his case is expected on 4 April and, if found guilty, he faces 10 months in prison and a fine of 5 million Indonesian Rupiah (UK£250).
Greenpeace Indonesia has issued a statement saying ‘All of this is a form of silencing the public who are fighting for the environment, who are fighting against the business interests of oligarchs and dirty businesses.’ Â
In a virtual press conference held on March 21, the Save Karimunjawa National Coalition said that the charges were far-fetched because ‘so many facts and arguments had been prepared haphazardly.’
Meanwhile, Didit Wicaksono, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Indonesia said, ‘The trial and prosecution of Daniel is a very strategic process to break the environmental struggle in the future, even though the impact of environmental damage in Indonesia is getting worse.’
‘What Daniel is doing is one simple way to fight for Karimunjawa,’ added Wicaksono, ‘a fortress in the north of Java that is important for the safety of marine and coastal conservation, as well as the people who live there.’
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