Recently, according to the The Jakarta Post, the President of List of presidents of Indonesia signed the latest regulations on marine sediment management, canceling the ban on sea sand export, stipulating that sea sand can be used for domestic reconstruction, infrastructure construction of government enterprises, and other domestic infrastructure construction. The new regulations allow holders of relevant certificates to export sea sand after meeting local needs. This regulation shall come into effect immediately from the date of signing.

Sea sand is the sand and stone in the ocean, which is washed, rolled, collided, and polished by seawater. It is a pure natural mineral. Sea sand, besides containingsilicon dioxideBesides, there is also a small amountChloride ion、feldsparCalcium, magnesium, mica, etc. are the second largest marine minerals after oil and gas. Mainly distributed in coastal areas around the world.

Sea sand is also widely used, mainly in three aspects: construction, industry, and smelting.

The proportion of sea sand used for construction purposes in the total production of sea sand90%, for example, used as concrete material for paving roadbeds, filling the sea for land, and as asphalt material. Industrial sea sand can be divided intoSilica sand, calcareous sand andHeavy sandetc.,Although the production only accounts for about 10% of the total sea sand usage, its use is extremely limitedExtensive, such as manufacturing glassSilicon bricks and ceramic tiles、Glass polishing, metal polishingEtc; Sea sand for smelting purposes is mainly used for manufacturing steel and castingAlloys of copper, lead, and iron.

Indonesia is located between the Pacific and Indian OceansComposed of 17508 islands of various sizesIs the largest archipelagic country in the world,Land area approximately1904000 Square kilometre, and the ocean area is about 3166000 Square kilometre,Total length of coastline54716 kilometersIt has a very rich sea sand resource.

In fact, Indonesia has been mining and exporting its domestic sea sand resources for a long time, and Singapore is the largest export market for Indonesian sea sand.

Data display, inFrom 1997 to 2002, Singapore imported approximately 250 million cubic meters of sea sand into Indonesia annually. The main purpose of importing sea sand from Singapore is to reclaim land from the sea. It is reported that at the beginning of its founding, Singapore's land area was only 581.5 square kilometers. Over the past fifty years, it has expanded to 724.4 square kilometers through reclamation, with new land accounting for 20% of the total land area.

But the large-scale mining of sea sand has also brought a series of environmental problems to Indonesia.

The exploitation of nearshore sea sand will damage resources such as beaches and also damage the natural underwater environment near the shoreThe "breakwater" causes ocean movements such as waves and tides to directly affect the coast, which can easily cause geological disasters such as coastal erosion and seawater intrusion. At the mouth of the sea, excessive exploitation of sea sand can cause seawater to flow backwards, leading to land salinization and affecting freshwater resources. In addition, the large-scale exploitation of sea sand also has a significant impact on the geological and ecological environment of the ocean, such as coral death, mangrove degradation, and coastal wear and tear.

In 2003, Indonesia issued regulations prohibiting the export of sea sand. It was not until 20 years later, in June 2023, that the Indonesian authorities lifted this ban, stipulating that sea sand could be used for domestic construction renovations and that eligible miners could export it abroad.

Reuters reported that Singapore may be the biggest beneficiary of Indonesia lifting its ban on sea sand exports. Because Malaysia and Cambodia have successively banned the export of sea sand, Singapore can only travel to India for import, and transportation costs are very expensive.

However, some environmentalists have stated that the new regulations on sea sand in Indonesia do not mention any environmental protection regulations. Compared to ecological losses and subsequent recovery costs, the economic benefits of exporting sea sand will be dwarfed, and authorities should carefully consider it.

In response, the Minister of Ocean Affairs of Indonesia stated that export controls are more stringent than before. A research team will be formed by the Ministry of Oceans, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Environment, academic experts, independent environmental groups, etc. to search for the location of sea sand deposits and determine whether the sea sand there is composed of naturally formed sediments. Only then can these sea sand be mined for domestic construction or export, The government will only issue mining permits to companies with the ability to dredge sea sand. He also stated that due to the rotation of ocean currents, Indonesia has approximately23 billion cubic meters of marine sediment.