The Indonesian islands divided over nickel mining

0:01Every episode of It's Been a Minute, NPR's What's Happening in Culture podcast starts by asking three questions. Who? How? Why now? If the culture's asking it, we're talking about it. At NPR, we stand for your right to be curious and indulge your cultural curiosity. Follow It's Been a Minute wherever you get your podcasts, and we'll break down the zeitgeisty topics that are filling your feed. Today on State of the World, the Indonesian islands divided over nickel mining. You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories, up close where they're happening.

0:40I'm Greg Dixon. In Indonesia's West Papua province, there is a collection of some 600 islands called Raja Ampat. The area is stunningly beautiful. It's often called the last paradise on earth. Raja Ampat is mostly untouched by major development, except for the recent growth of a nickel mining industry. Mining has split locals between those who want to grow their economy with the mines and those who want to protect the fishing and tourism industries. And the struggle has become violent. NPR's Above the Fray fellow, Katerina Barton, brings us the story from Indonesia. Traveling above clear blue waters, Aquila Mambrasar, a local fisherman, takes his boat out to his favorite fishing spot.

1:28As a native Papuan, he fishes the traditional way, with a fishing line, hook, and a weight. When he feels a tug, he pulls the line back in by hand. The fish flops around by his feet.

1:47It's a trigger fish, he says. Can you eat that one? It's delicious. Nearby is a deserted, jungle-filled island, where a nickel mining project here in the archipelago of Raja Ampat was shut down last year. Indonesia is the world's largest supplier of nickel, a mineral used in stainless steel and some batteries for electric vehicles. The growth of the industry over the past decade reached a tipping point last summer when the hashtag Save Raja Ampat went viral. The government then revoked the licenses of four out of five mining companies operating on different islands because of concerns for the environment.

2:32Afterward, local Papuans here took different sides, those who supported the mines and those who didn't. Near the beach outside of Akula's home on Manyafun Island, he says he's part of the anti-mine crowd.

2:50Raja Ampat is a tourist area. It's famous, he says. We have to preserve the nature and the sea. Tourists come here to see the turquoise lagoons and to explore the rich coral reefs. Along with being a fisherman, Aquila owns guest houses. He's worried about how mining could impact his livelihood because he's seen the damage it's caused before. He used to sell fish on an island with a nickel mine.

3:22He says the sediment from the mining turned the sea red. Environmental experts also fear that mining would pollute the marine ecosystem here. That's why the government closed the mines. But that feels unfair to the people who lost their livelihoods when the mines closed. People like Bob, who asked NPR to only use his nickname, fearing repercussions in his village if he spoke about the mine closures under his real name. If the company reopens, everyone will benefit, Bob says. Bob is from Salpele Village, which is near another mine that closed. People not only lost their jobs, but Bob and others in his village lost the monthly royalty payments they were getting from a mining company.

4:09He says each family was getting up to$700 a month, even if they didn't work in the mine, which is a huge amount of money in Indonesia. Normally, people make around$350 a month. Bob used that money to send his children to school, since there's no high school in his village. But now, with the mine closed, everyone is looking for jobs, he says. As for the concerns about the environment, he says he doesn't believe the reports about the damage. Divisions over mining turn into a heated and even violent conflict between neighbors. People from Bob's village who had benefited from the mines took boats to Aquila's island, Manyafun, to vandalize guest houses and to try to scare off tourists.

5:03A video taken by one of the villagers shows a group of people shoving each other and shouting. Those who worked in the mines blamed the closures on their neighbors who had protested against them. The conflicts here highlight some of the lasting social impacts that big environmental decisions can have on communities worldwide. Whether that's a data center in the United States or a nickel mine in Indonesia. It's now been almost a year since the mines have closed. The anti-mine crowd seems to have won the debate for now.

5:41Aquila, the fisherman, says he's happy he can live peacefully without the mine nearby. But many fear that more mining companies will try to get licenses here in the future. Katerina Barton, NPR News, Raja Ampat, Indonesia. And you can see a stunning visual report about Indonesia's nickel mining dilemma. That's at npr.org. And you can find a link to it in our episode notes.

6:10That's the State of the World from NPR. Thank you for listening. Richard Reeves is unimpressed by online influencers who peddle ideas about hyper-masculinity. You're talking about boys and men. Where's your policy agenda? You're good on podcasts, but we've actually done a bunch of stuff for boys and men. Sorry, what have you done? Ideas about the next era of manhood. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.