Who gains from saving nature
Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / Law, regulation and treaties · Indonesia · 2023

Indonesia reopens sea-sand exports on a 17.66 billion m3 potential estimate

Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.

Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
What the record lacks: 1 none on record · 1 not measured · 1 disputed · 2 unclear See the gaps

Indonesia reopened sea-sand exports in 2023 after a 20-year ban. A 2024 decree gave a national sediment potential of 17.66 billion cubic metres, against a domestic need of 435,433 cubic metres.

What?
Indonesia's decree gave a national sediment potential of 17.66 billion cubic metres, while domestic need was 435,433 cubic metres. Kontan
Where?
Indonesia, including the Spermonde islands and Riau
When?
Exports reopened in 2023; 66 applications reported in July 2024; Supreme Court ruling reported in June 2025 Bisnis
Who?
Gained
  • 66 companies that applied for sea-sand licences — Applied for permits to extract marine sediment, as reported by Kontan Kontan
Lost
  • Fishers in Spermonde and Riau — Lost income; CELIOS estimates a loss of 990 billion rupiah and 36,400 jobs
Harmed
  • Villagers in Lumajang opposing sand mining — An opponent of a sand mine was killed; the village head was sentenced to 20 years, and three police received only disciplinary punishment
Why?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
How?
Export permits were opened under PP 26/2023 and a 2024 decree; the Supreme Court later ruled the export articles contrary to the Maritime Law. Bisnis
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

Indonesia banned sea-sand exports in 2003, and regulation PP 26/2023 reopened them in 2023 under the heading of managing marine sedimentation.

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries reported in July 2024 that 66 companies had applied for licences (Kontan).

Decree KP 16/2024 gave a national sediment potential of 17.66 billion cubic metres, against a domestic need of 435,433 cubic metres (Kontan).

Bisnis reported on 26 June 2025 that the Supreme Court had ruled the articles of PP 26/2023 allowing exports contrary to the Maritime Law.

    In court and with insurers

    Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

    Lawsuits and rulings

    1. Claimant won
      Judicial review 5 P/HUM/2025 of PP 26/2023
      Supreme Court of Indonesia · judicial review · Petitioners (not named in sources) → Government of Indonesia

      The Supreme Court found articles 10(2) to 10(4) of PP 26/2023, which allowed sea-sand exports, contrary to the Maritime Law. The sources give the decision date as 2 January or 2 June 2025. Bisnis

    2. Outcome not on record
      Lumajang sand-mining murder case
      Indonesian court (not named in sources) · Criminal · Prosecution (not named in sources) → Village head

      The village head was sentenced to 20 years. Three police officers who received money received only disciplinary punishment.

    Insurers

    No insurer decision on record.

    What we don't know

    Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.

    Nature

    • Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.

    Court

    • Unclear Lumajang sand-mining murder case: outcome not on record.

    Record

    • Unclear The sources say enforcement of the Supreme Court ruling is unclear.
    • Disputed The date of the Supreme Court decision is given as 2 January or 2 June 2025 in different sources.
    • None on record The sources do not say how much sand has been exported under the permits.

    Did the harm stop?

    Not stated in the sources reviewed.

    Who paid?

    Not stated in the sources reviewed.

    Sources

    Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers

    Press and investigations

    Connected cases

    Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
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