Indonesian tin miners target the ocean as reserves dwindle on land

Hendra, 51, a tin miner, stands on top of his pontoon while monitoring the mining operation off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. - Reuters

TOBOALI, Indonesia (Reuters): From the shores of Indonesia's Bangka island, miners like Hendra head out by boat every day to scores of crudely built wooden pontoons dotted off the coast that are equipped to dredge the seabed for lucrative deposits of tin ore.

Indonesia is the world's biggest exporter of tin used in everything from food packaging to electronics and now green technologies.